


The Isles of the Damned: A Super Danganronpa 2 Rewrite

by BextheTRex



Series: Danganronpa Rewritten [2]
Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Ableism, Aged-Up Character(s), Alcohol, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Amnesia, Angst, Animal Attack, Animal Death, Anxiety, Coming of Age, Dark Comedy, Depression, Dirty Jokes, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, F/M, Fix-It, Gaming, Gang Violence, Girl Power, Gore, Human Experimentation, Implied/Referenced Sex, Kodaka is a hack, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Murder, Murder Mystery, Natural Disasters, Occult, Past Child Abuse, Polyamory, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recreational Drug Use, Self-Harm, Smoking, Suicide, Suicide Attempt, Supernatural Elements, Survival Horror, Swearing, Tags May Change, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-03-20 11:34:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 69,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18991837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BextheTRex/pseuds/BextheTRex
Summary: Since my rewrite of Trigger Happy Havoc was received overall positively I thought it would be nice to rewrite the second game too. Like Dawn of Despair there will be changes to some degree including murder methods, killers, executions and survivors.The changes may be slightly less dramatic here since I found the plot of the second game a little less rage inducing than the first, so I will mostly focus on giving the characters more depth. I especially want to give the girls more development since Kodaka is terrible at writing female characters and I hate how they were mostly used as fanservice fodder. Similarly, I will be cutting out the creepier aspects in the canon game (you know what I mean), also Teru is cancelled. Again there will be more LGBT representation because heteronormativity blows.Anyway I hope you enjoy this rewrite and have a blast!





	1. Prologue

Hope’s Peak University, what can I say about it? It’s in the name. After the Second World War brought about much devastation to Japan and despair clouded the nation there was a light in the darkness, a university that aimed to recruit the country’s most talented individuals. These young prodigies, known as ‘Ultimates’ would go on to gain prominence in their respective fields and were believed to be one of the main reasons that the war-torn nation was able to get back on its feet at last. 

I have admired Hope’s Peak ever since childhood. Whenever my band of friends trekked to high school and back, we saw the great university dominating the Tokyo skyline, looking upon it with awe and envy. Of course, the institution had its fair share of controversies too, the main complaints concerning exclusivity. Wacky rumours were present too such as secret illegal experiments being conducted within the university’s walls, some of which involved human participants. At the time I obviously thought it was a load of conspiracy theory crap.

Right now however, none of that mattered as I walked past the wrought iron gate leading to the famous university itself. I had finally achieved my dream, much to the disbelief of my friends and family. I was totally pumped, and I could not wait to be in the same vicinity as these young legends. It was impossible to conceal my excitement as I approached the main entrance and stepped through the door…

… After that I couldn’t remember much, perhaps I was recovering from a hangover at the freshers party. I came back to my senses, rubbing my aching head, only to see a great black void. One thing stood out to me, a large wooden door. Groggily, I walked towards it, hoping that the room behind it would lead to a sofa or bed where I could crash until the pain subsided. 

As I opened it however, I didn’t come across any of those things, but rather a classroom. Apart from the metal panels over the windows, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I did not think much of it as I sat down and rested my head on one of the desks. 

I did not get much solace however as I swore I could feel a tapping on my shoulder… and a voice.

‘Hey! Get up sleepyhead!’ 

Startled, I awoke to see a wispy haired young man wearing a green hoodie, smiling up at me. I rubbed my eyes to fully comprehend the scene around me. This mysterious boy was not the only one present, at the back of the class was a group of scared and confused students who were all looking in my direction.

‘What the Hell? Where am I?’ I shook my head, ‘Am I dreaming? Did I drink too much booze? I can’t remember anything!’

The wispy haired boy laughed, ‘None of us remember anything, silly!’ he held out a hand, I took it and staggered to my feet, ‘So what is your name?’

‘Hajime’, I uttered, ‘Hajime Hinata…’

‘Nagito Komaeda’, he shook my hand, ‘I am sure we will all get along splendidly once we get to know each other, right?’ he looked back at the other students who said nothing, ‘So… what is your talent Hajime? I’m the Ultimate Lucky Student myself! Nothing particularly special I know, but I was honoured to be chosen as the lucky candidate for this class, especially against thousands of other applicants!’

‘I… I don’t know, I literally have no clue!’

‘Oh, you are so funny Hajime!’

‘No, I’m serious! I don’t remember my talent, or anything for that matter, since I passed through those doors. I must have been hammered from a freshers party or something. That’s the only explanation I can possibly come up with!’

‘I don’t drink! Yet I don’t remember anything since stepping through the University’s doors either, in fact none of us do!’

‘Seriously?’ 

‘Yeah, it’s so weird right?’ Nagito laughed rather hysterically before one of the students, a portly young man wearing glasses and expensive finery stepped towards me.

‘So, you can’t remember your own talent? How low, even for simpletons such as yourself!’ he smirked.

‘Don’t worry, Byakuya introduces himself to everyone like this’, the source of the voice came from a plump girl perched on a desk, her eyes fixated on a Nintendo Switch.

‘Where are we anyway?’ I swallowed.

‘I dunno’, the girl shrugged, her eyes still glued to the screen.

‘Chiaki are you ever going to turn away from that thing?’ a red-haired girl with a large camera around her neck frowned.

‘I’m in the middle of heated gaming moment goddammit!’ Chiaki stressed.

‘Seriously though, where are we?’ I looked around nervously.

‘Well I tried to leave this class to go and take a shit, but when I opened the door there was nothing but an endless void’, a bear-like young man wearing a tracksuit told me.

‘I just wanna know where all the grub is!’ a dark skinned, muscular young woman, also wearing a tracksuit complained, ‘I’m starvin’ over here!’

‘Yeah’, a girl in gothic attire nodded, ‘And where is all the music? A freshers party without some rockin’ tunes in the background is pretty dull don’t you think?’

‘None of you mere mortals get it do you?’ a lean, pale skinned young man sitting far away from the others snickered. He was blind in one eye, presumably due to the large gash on his face, ‘We are clearly approaching the Demon Realm!’ He held up a box that was shaking slightly, ‘My four Dark Devas of Destruction are becoming restless!’

‘Gundham stop scaring everyone!’ a small girl wearing an orange kimono whined.

‘Don’t worry Hiyoko’, the red-haired girl put a hand on her shoulder, ‘Whatever happens, I’m here’.

‘I don’t think we are in any kind of spirit world, but I am troubled nonetheless’, a silver haired young woman spoke, she was carrying a long, peculiar package on her back, ‘We should exercise caution’.

‘Yeah, I have more goosebumps than when I'm on the track!’ a tomboyish young woman in a tiger striped racing jacket agreed.

‘I came all the way from the kingdom of Novoselic to be here’, a rather princely, blond-haired girl wearing a hussar uniform spoke in a Russian accent, ‘At least this will be a great opportunity to get to know Japanese student culture a little better’.

‘Pfff, as if…’ a short, stocky young man took a puff on a cigarette, ‘The Kuzuryuu clan doesn’t make friends, only people who are willing to do the dirty work!’

‘Please…’ a pale, skinny young woman wearing what looked like nurse attire was trembling, ‘let’s not fight! I don’t want anyone getting hurt…’

‘I have to look at your face Mikan, yet I’m not complaining’, Hiyoko smirked.

‘Eek! I’m sorry!’ Mikan turned away, cowering in the corner.

‘We are all getting along splendidly I see…’ Byakuya smirked.

‘Oh no... I’m stuck with these weirdos’, my thoughts rang out to me, ‘Maybe I really am in some hellish dimension after all… trapped alongside these idiots…’

‘I suppose we will just have to wait this out and see what happens then!’ Nagito shrugged.

At that moment however I heard a high-pitched female voice coming from seemingly nowhere,

‘No need to be afraid my dear kittens, for I have a big surprise for all of you!’

‘What the Hell?’ a scruffy young man who had dyed his hair hot pink cried out.

‘If it’s something to do with food then I am all for it!’ the muscular girl stated.

‘Oh God… please let this just be a nightmare, or a hangover… anything else…’ the voices in my head continued to plead, as the reality around me got increasingly weirder.

‘What do you have in store for us Prince of Darkness?’ Gundham yelled.

‘I’m not Satan if that’s what you are wondering, and this isn’t Hell either’.

‘Where are we then? And who are you?’ Byakuya questioned.

‘You will find out soon enough! As for me…’ a bright light shone from the corner of the classroom, out of it jumped a snow white rabbit, ‘… I am Usami, I have travelled from my home on the moon to help you little kittens’.

‘Ah!’ the blond haired girl squealed, ‘It’s so cute!’

‘A talking rabbit, seriously?’ I tilted my head in confusion, ‘What kind of Willy Wonka place is this?’

‘You come from the moon?’ Chiaki looked up from her game, ‘Is it really made of cheese?’

‘What are you planning to do with us?’ Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

‘I’m going to take you all on a field trip’, Usami explained, ‘where you will study the meaning of friendship and kindness. That is why I have summoned you all here today!’

‘What?!’ the small stocky young man began chewing on his cigar, ‘I didn’t sign up for this!’

‘We aren’t staying here though surely?!’ the scruffy young man cried out.

‘Yeah, if I don’t find a bathroom soon, I won’t be able to hold it in any longer!’ the bear-like young man strained, as the rest of us whispered amongst ourselves.

‘Just some booze will be fine’, I yawned, ‘Then I can forget that this is all happening…’

‘Anyway, my dear kittens, we shouldn’t dally around here any longer’, from out of nowhere the rabbit caused a ball of white light to materialise in her paws, ‘Are you all ready? One… two… three…’

The room turned into a swirl of colours and then to black as we all went down this rabbit hole. For a few seconds, everything had completely vanished…

… I came back to my senses, sprawled on the ground. I felt a light gust of fresh air, coarse white sand below me, and above all of that, I could hear and smell the sea.

‘Hey Hajime, can you hear me?’, I heard a familiar voice over the sound of the waves. I awoke to see a bright blue sky and the face of Nagito Komaeda standing over me.

Quickly I got into a sitting position and looked around, indeed I was on a beach. Seagulls soared above me, palm trees gently waved in the breeze, and the great blue ocean slapped against the shoreline.

‘Nagito, where are we?’ I gasped, ‘Have we been marooned or something?’ Looking around I noticed that the others were coming around to their senses too.

‘I dunno!’ Nagito shrugged, ‘It’s better than being trapped in a stuffy old classroom though, right?’

‘I guess…’ I rolled my eyes.

‘Wow this place is so enchanting!’ the princely girl beamed.

‘I’m not sure how to feel about being far away from my friends and family without them knowing. Nevertheless, this island lends some great photo opportunities!’ the red-haired girl took out her camera and began to snap pictures.

Gundham looked down at his box, ‘Well my four Dark Devas of Destruction… I have no idea which hellish dimension we have landed in, but I don’t see why I shouldn't release you’. He opened the box, and out of it hopped four jet black crows. They looked from side to side, not sure what to make of the situation before they finally spread their wings and took flight.

‘You have such beautiful birds Gundham!’ the princely girl gasped as they flew above, ‘I would love to know how you train them!’ 

‘Thank you…’ he uttered shyly as I noticed him quickly cover his now red face with his purple scarf.

‘Come on already!’ we spotted the muscular girl attempting to shake some bananas down from a tree, much to the contempt of an angry looking monkey. She was then forced to wrestle with the creature as it leaped down and began clawing at her, ‘Alright then, bring it on!’ she yelled.

‘No, no, no! Anything but this!’ the small, stocky young man paced around anxiously, ‘Shit! How am I supposed to get into contact with the clan now? If they find out I’m gone then I’m dead!’ he fell on all fours, ‘How could I let this happen? I’m a disgrace to the Kuzuryuu family, how can I live like this?’

At that moment I noticed the silver haired girl walk up the him and whisper something in his ear. The tension then subsided from his face as he got up, even though his eyes still indicated much anxiety.

‘Excuse me, I need to duck out!’ the bear like young man was about to pelt towards the trees before the white rabbit jumped out from the bushes.

‘There’s no need for that’, she reassured him, ‘If you go along the boardwalk over there, the lodge is just a two minutes’ walk away!’

‘Thank you!’ the man sprinted at breakneck speed over the board walk and out of sight.

‘What is the meaning of this?’ the tomboyish girl frowned, ‘Why are we all on an island in the middle of nowhere?’

‘I should have explained earlier’, the rabbit giggled, ‘It is part of your project!’

‘Is thas the one about the friendship, unicorns, magic and crap?’ I asked.

‘If you put it that way then yes! The aim is simple, you will all take the opportunity during your stay here to learn the meaning of love and friendship!’

‘I suppose we get to leave once we are all friends… or at least tolerate each other…’ I looked over in the direction of the small young man who resembled a cornered cobra preparing to strike.

‘That’s correct my little kitten! I want you all to make the most of this experience. Even if you do not see eye to eye with everyone, I am hoping that you will at least be willing to be at their side if they are feeling down!’

‘You clearly overestimate the social capabilities of humans’, Gundham growled.

‘Anyway, I will leave you little kittens alone to get to know each other. Meet me back here in an hour and I will have another a surprise for you all!’

The white rabbit vanished into thin air and we all looked on, completely stumped. After a while we dispersed. While many of us were still somewhat unnerved, we were nonetheless eager to explore the island and what it had to offer. It was a very beautiful place after all and resembled something straight out of a postcard.

The sixteen of us eventually dispersed, the only one to stay at my side was Nagito.

‘Well what are you waiting for Hajime?’ he laughed, ‘Let’s do some snooping around, and maybe we will be able to get to know the rest of the crew a bit better too!’

‘I haven’t got much of a choice, have I?’ I sighed.

‘Come on Hajime! Moping around won’t do you any good now, will it?’

‘Lead the way…’ I mumbled. The two of us trekked across the boardwalk, and after a while, I began to somewhat appreciate the scenery around me, ‘So, where should we start?’ 

‘Look over there!’ Nagito pointed, the two of looked up to see a camera.

‘What the Hell is that doing here? We aren’t being watched, are we?’

‘Maybe the government placed us on an island to observe us!’

‘Jesus Nagito! Don’t scare me like that!’ We carried on until we came across a large jade structure, ‘Wow that’s one big ass dragon’, I uttered as the two of us approached a pretty little garden. The giant statue dominated the scene, proudly standing upon its plinth, ‘It looks so real too!’

‘Hey what’s that noise?’ Nagito turned to the side. I heard it too, the sound of metal upon metal.

We followed the source of the noise where we saw the princely and the silver haired girl locked in a friendly duel. I saw that the latter’s samurai sword dwarfed the former’s cavalry saber. Eventually the two girls slipped their respective weapons into their sheaths when they noticed us.

‘You wield a sword well, Princess Sonia’, the silver haired girl bowed, ‘The kingdom of Novoselic is clearly gifted in the art of the sword’, her face turned a little pink.

‘Thank you Peko! One day I will take you to Novoselic as an honoured guest. I am sure my subjects will greatly admire your tactics!’ Sonia took Peko’s hand and kissed it, causing her to blush even more.

‘Hang on… did you say princess?’ I asked, ‘You seem more princely though surely?’

‘Yeah that’s what they all say. I don’t wear dresses most of the time, so whenever I go on state visits I often get mistaken for a prince. But yes, I am the Ultimate Princess!’

‘Where is Novoselic anyway? I’m not sure if I have heard of it…’

‘Not many people have. Still, we were one of the few countries in Eastern Europe to avoid the clutches of the Soviet Union. Not even they stood a chance against our military! Countless empires have risen and fallen but the Kingdom of Novoselic has remained steadfast and strong for centuries!’

‘Damn…’

‘Alas, being a princess is exhausting. Even if you have an entire kingdom at your fingertips, you are cut off from the outside world in a sense. You cannot experience ‘normal’ activities without constantly being surrounded by admirers. I just want to know what life is like outside of the palace. Through this, I hope to discover what being a princess truly means!’

‘How very Disney of you!’

‘Also… my subjects have been less trusting of the royal family ever since the recession struck. Not even Novoselic escaped it. Therefore, as a princess I feel it is my duty to better understand the ‘common folk’. That is why I travelled to Japan and applied to Hope’s Peak University!’

‘And what about you Peko?’ I asked the silver haired girl, ‘What’s your talent?’ 

‘You saw it for yourself’, she adjusted her glasses, ‘I am the Ultimate Swordswoman’.

‘Sweet!’ Nagito exclaimed, ‘I would be terrified to touch the sword you were wielding, let alone use it. How sharp is it exactly?’

‘Let’s just say that it took me a long time to find practice mannequins that wouldn’t get instantly decapitated whenever I hit them with it’.

‘I see… well just be careful with that thing alright?!’

Peko laughed, ‘Don’t worry, I keep it in my trusty sword bag most of the time!’

‘Well thank goodness for that then…’ I said, ‘That thing was scary!’

We talked a little while longer before we explored the garden further. We came across a large gazebo where Byakuya was sitting, gazing at the ocean.

‘Hey Byakuya!’ Nagito waved, ‘Enjoying the view I see!’

‘I have a bad feeling about this…’ Byakuya uttered, ‘I see clouds in the distance’.

‘I too am unsettled’, I looked up at the sky, ‘This all seems too good to be true, surely?’

‘Why the long faces you guys? We might as well enjoy ourselves while we are here!’ Nagito said.

‘Forgive me’, Byakuya cleared his throat, ‘In my position I always have to be cautious’.

‘What do you mean?’

‘My position as a Togami family heir has attracted many enemies. They either want to take control of the Togami Corporation themselves or destroy my family’s legacy entirely’.

‘Holy shit, really?’ I gasped.

‘Yes. I have had several attempts on my life throughout my career. You have to be careful of who you trust, otherwise you could be snuffed out like that’, he clicked his fingers.

‘Surely you won’t have to worry about those people here though?’ Nagito tilted his head, ‘I can’t imagine any of us having a reason for wanting you gone!’

‘Me neither, but then again, I used to believe the same thing about people who I thought were allies but turned out to be traitorous dogs. I feel uneasy without my security guards too…’

‘Cheer up Byakuya! You are here on this wonderful island; you should bask in it!’

‘Whatever the case, we should stick together. We shouldn’t take any chances’.

‘What’s this all about?’ I saw the tomboyish girl arrive, panting slightly.

‘Well if it isn’t the Lucky Tiger herself!’ Nagito gasped.

I clapped a hand to my mouth, ‘Is it really you? I didn’t even know!’

‘The one and only’, the girl beamed, ‘That’s just my racing title. My real name is Tora Yoshimoto and I am the Ultimate High-Speed Racer!’

‘I never knew I would actually get to meet you in person Tora! How is life on the track?’

‘It’s been a while since I last hit the road. Nevertheless, I have a lot of support from my fans. I especially helped to inspire more women to take up racing. It always warms my heart whenever a little girl looks up at me and tells me I am her ‘hero’. Of course, I also have my fair share of opposition. Racing is still very much a man’s world, and it’s not uncommon to see men calling me a ‘dyke’, telling me to ‘get back in the kitchen’, or worse…’

‘Jesus… I’m so sorry…’

‘It’s no big deal, besides, the dedication of my fans overshadows the hate. People like you Hajime, are the reason why I have kept on going! She looked in the direction of the dragon statue which Sonia and Peko strode past, ‘Peko is so cool don’t you think?!’ I saw her blush slightly at this statement.

‘Yeah she is’, I agreed, ‘albeit slightly terrifying…’

‘I’m such a prominent figure though…’ Tora sighed, ‘If I was to ask her out, I don’t want it to be awkward. I don’t want to look like a celebrity hitting on one of her fans…’

‘I don’t think you need to worry about that kind of thing here’, I tried to reassure her.

‘What do you think Nagito? Do you think I should go for it?’

‘I’m gay’, he shrugged, ‘I don’t have much dating expertise when it comes to girls I’m afraid!’

‘You could try a disguise’, Byakuya suggested, ‘then you can reveal who you really are when you are safely outside of public view. That’s how I met most of my dates’.

‘And they probably had a thing for ‘thicc’ guys too’, Nagito commented, causing Byakuya's face to turn pink, ‘Who can blame em really?’ 

‘I suppose I should just take baby steps and see where it goes from there…’ Tora sighed.

‘That sounds like the most sensible option’, I nodded.

‘So… you are into men Nagito?’ I asked as we walked out of the garden.

‘Yup! What about you… if you don’t mind me asking?’

‘I’m Bi’.

‘Does anyone catch your fancy Hajime?’

‘I dunno… Gundham seems pretty cute beneath that dark exterior…’

‘Good luck with that!’ Nagito laughed, ‘He rarely opens up to anyone!’

‘I wonder why that is?’

‘Beats me!’ he pointed at a sign which read, ‘Ranch and Petting Zoo’, ‘I think I know where he is hanging out! You could try using your manly charms on him there’, he winked, ‘That’s if he doesn’t put a curse on you first of course!’

‘I sure hope not!’

A few minutes later we came across a set of some rustic looking farm buildings. Hopping in between the legs of some grazing cows were four familiar crows, pecking and scratching at the ground for worms, indicating that their owner was nearby. 

Before we spotted him however, we noticed Hiyoko kneeling on the ground, magnifying glass in hand, with an evil grin on her face. Looking closer we spotted the steaming bodies of some ants which had fallen victim to her weapon.

‘What have those poor ants ever done to you?’ I asked her.

‘Nothing! I’m only conducting a science experiment, that’s all!’

‘I’m pretty sure there are ways of conducting experiments that don’t revolve around bug torture’.

‘But it’s so fun! And there are plenty more ants where that came from!’ she giggled.

‘Well, I will make sure to pray for those ants then…’

‘I really hope Mahiru comes back soon, she has been so kind to me ever since we first met! As the Ultimate Photographer she said she wanted to take this opportunity to photobomb. I didn’t know you could blow up things with the click of a camera!’

‘Yeah... So Hiyoko… what’s your talent then?’

‘I’m the Ultimate Traditional Dancer!’

‘Can you show us?’ asked Nagito.

‘Nah, I don’t feel like it! Also, unless I am in a well-ventilated area, I will overheat from my kimono’.

‘Can’t you wear anything else outside of your performances?’

‘I would, but I always need someone to help me get into it. Once I get out of it, I cannot get back in!’

‘Have you seen Gundham?’ I asked.

‘Yeah, he’s in the stables, I wouldn’t be surprised if he sleeps in one!’

‘I don’t know what Mahiru is getting into, the only person who I can picture being friends with that girl is Joffrey Baratheon!’ I said as the two of us finally made our way to the stables.

Indeed, Gundham was standing there. He had seemingly made a beeline to the blackest horse present, stroking its muzzle. As though they were being hypnotised, the beasts all stared in his direction. Somewhat cautiously, the two of us approached.

‘What do you want, mortals?!’ Gundham’s working eye almost burned into ours.

‘It’s alright Gundham, we just wanted to say hi!’ I walked up to him slowly, ‘What is your talent exactly? It seems like you’re great with animals!’ 

‘Yes… they trust me… It’s not always easy though, as the Ultimate Breeder I often have to get up close to large and dangerous creatures. If there is one mistake on my part, then I must pay the price’, he pointed at the scar on his face, ‘It’s a rite of passage in my position’.

‘How did you obtain such an injury?’

‘I was tasked with introducing a tiger to a tigress at a famous zoo. Unfortunately, it did not go well, and I jumped in to try and separate them. The last thing I saw in my left eye was that beast’s claws. I was hospitalised and the zoo staff were going to shoot the animal that attacked me, but I insisted that they didn’t. I made the mistake after all. I have my ways with animals, but I am not God. That event taught me that even for someone with my abilities, there are times when you shouldn’t interfere with the natural order’.

‘Wow that was intense…’

‘That is why most humans cannot be trusted’, he walked outside and pulled out some kind of instrument, ‘I don’t blame animals for being wary around us, especially given the way we have treated them throughout our existence’, he blew, and a deep caw emitted from it. Almost instantaneously I watched as the crows took flight. He reached into a bag, pulling out some chunks of meat. One by one, each bird had its fill.

‘I see where you are coming from. With our history, humans… kind of suck’, Nagito commented.

I was worried however. Were there other deep dark reasons Gundham had a distaste for most humans?

‘Not many have the ability to understand the real emotions that animals go through. Even those who go on to study such things are lacking when it comes to properly understanding their behavior. My talent is a gift, and I must not take it for granted’, he spoke softly.

‘I would love you to teach me some of your ways Gundham’, I grinned sheepishly, ‘I feel I could learn a lot from you’. Despite Gundham’s somewhat aloof nature, there was something about his confidence and devotion to animals which made him… alluring in a strange sense.

‘Come on Hajime’, Nagito had to drag me away as my heart began quicken it’s pace, ‘I don’t think Gundham is in the mood for your sweet talk right now’, he winked as I felt myself blush.

As we left the ranch, we saw the red-haired girl, Mahiru walking towards it.

‘Hey Mahiru, did you get some good pictures?’ Nagito waved in her direction.

‘I hope so’, she sighed, ‘I just need to find a way to get them printed. Still… it’s annoying that there is no wifi connection around here, otherwise I would have uploaded them to Instagram by now’.

‘There’s no wifi connection here?!’ I cried.

She shook her head, ‘It was the first thing I checked upon leaving the beach. It seems we are completely cut off from the outside world after all. I just hope that rabbit will let us off the island soon, then I can finally open up my first photography exhibition’.

‘Will you let us in for free?’ Nagito grinned.

‘Sorry, I kind of need the money... People taking up art careers like me have been hit the hardest ever since the recession. It’s only thanks to my parents’ support that I am still able to work and function’.

‘I'm sorry…’

‘Don't worry about it. Artists have always gotten the short end of the stick throughout history, that’s the way it’s always been’, she shrugged, ‘Still… I’m not going to let that negative stigma stop me!’

‘You go girl!’ Nagito grinned.

‘I think that she-demon…’ I laughed nervously as Mahiru shot me an angry glare, ‘… I mean little angel, is waiting for you just outside of the ranch!’

As she walked towards Hiyoko who was still conducting her ‘experiments’, the two of us walked slowly back to the lodge. On the way we came across a small convenience store. Just as we stepped inside however, I felt something solid crash into me.

‘Eek!’

‘What the Hell?’ Looking down, I saw Mikan laying face first on the ground, 

‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry…’ the girl trembled, ‘I’m such a clutz… I’m sorry, I really am…’

‘Hey, are you okay?’ I held out a hand to help. When I did so, she looked shocked, as though she had never received this kind of treatment before, ‘Come on, up you get!’

‘Thanks…’ she swallowed before she got back on her feet, ‘Anyway… Are you feeling well?’

‘I guess…’ I answered, ‘I mean I’m not about to drop dead if that’s what you mean!’

‘You look healthy Hajime, but remember to keep hydrated and stay in the shade when you can… Heatstroke is more common than you think in hot environments like this…’

‘It’s alright Mikan’, laughed Nagito, ‘If we suspect anything is up, we will be sure to let you know!’

‘I am always around if you need me’, Mikan smiled anxiously, ‘It’s in my nature to be concerned you know… as the Ultimate Nurse, I am kind of obligated to look out for everyone’s safety, even those who don’t display kindness to me in return…’ she sighed.

‘Don’t worry about people like that’, I told her, ‘Besides, our little sadist seems very much occupied at the moment…’ I looked in the direction of the ranch.

‘Wow look at all those water supplies!’ Nagito gasped as he began to investigate the shop, ‘Seems pretty pointless though if you don’t have any money’.

‘Oh, we do have money!’ Mikan giggled, ‘Our student loan money has been stored in our rooms’.

‘Seriously? I wonder how they got them all the way here…’

‘I think I’m going to skedaddle back to the lodge now that ‘she’ is away. Remember to keep hydrated!’ and she ran at breakneck speed down the path.

We decided to browse the shop. Indeed, surfboards, wetsuits and even inflatables lined some of the shelves. In the corner, the scruffy young man was taking interest in some electrical equipment.

‘Hey Kazuichi!’ Nagito greeted him.

‘Are you like an engineer or something?’ I asked.

‘Mechanic, but close enough’, he nodded as he eyed the shelves up and down, ‘I cannot wait to get started on the new inventions I have planned!’

‘What sort of things do you specialise in?’

‘All sorts, although robotics is my current field of interest. When I was a kid, I would often steal scrap metal and use it to create such things in my garage. My family wasn’t that well off you see…’

‘Cool! You will have to show me some of your inventions at some point Kazuichi’.

‘I hope I will be able to at some point, I think I will go scavenging along the coastline to see if I can find anything useful there. Scrap metal is surprisingly valuable you know!’ he picked up a metal detector, ‘I think I will head on down there just now’, as we walked out he said, ‘You should check out the lodge, it’s better than I thought it would be. They have a pool and everything!’

‘I dunno…’ I cringed slightly, ‘Pools kind of got ruined for me when I was sixteen. My friends and I traveled to a water park during summer break. While I was swimming, my leg came into contact with a strange object in the water. I thought it was just some leftover swimming gear but when I looked down, I saw that it was… a discarded condom’.

Kazuichi clapped a hand to his mouth, ‘That’s fucked dude… Was it used?’

I nodded, ‘Upon discovering it…’ I sighed deeply, ‘…I threw up… it was pretty bad. Water park officials had to empty and disinfect the whole thing. My friends turned me into a laughingstock ever since, and for a long time I was known as that guy who shut down the water park’.

‘Holy shit! Really?’ Kazuichi couldn’t contain himself, ‘I mean… it’s perfectly understandable why you did that but still… there’s nothing wrong with a bit of schadenfreude!’

‘I really don’t think you will have to worry about that here though’, Nagito also chuckled slightly after hearing my story, ‘It’s only the sixteen of us! Besides, we should make the most of it while we still can!’

We waved Kazuichi off as the two of us finally approached the lodge. As Kazuichi described, it was a large wooden building, complete with a pool in front. Beside it, I could see the small stocky young man, puffing on another cigarette. Upon noticing us, he looked at us rather irritably.

‘What do you want?’ he growled.

‘Nothing much really!’ Nagito exclaimed as he began to sweat bullets.

‘Who are you then?’ I tried to keep myself composed.

‘I am Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, heir to the Kuzuryuu clan!’ the young man announced.

‘The Kuzuryuu clan, eh? Isn’t that the most the most dangerous and most feared Yakuza gang across all of Japan?’ I asked, somewhat apprehensively, ‘Does that mean you have…?’

‘Damn right!’ he pulled back his sleeve to reveal part of a very elaborate full body tattoo, ‘My clan is one the few where the younger members still receive such tattoos’, he snickered, ‘Most of them cannot handle the sheer amount pain that comes with the procedure!’

‘Shit…’

‘Yeah, it’s the most painful experience I have ever been through, and this is coming from someone who has been shot and stabbed before. It goes to show, you gotta have balls in my world. We Kuzuryuus don’t fuck around. And if someone tries to fuck with us, then we will fuck them right back!’

‘I will make sure to stay out of your way then Fuyuhiko…’ I backed off slightly.

‘I think that would be a good idea, I am very good at making my enemies disappear!’

‘I don’t want to be your enemy though…’

‘You can never be too trustworthy’, Fuyuhiko smirked, ‘That’s why we Kuzuryuus don’t make friends. We only associate with those who are willing to carry out deeds to the clan!’

‘Scary fellow, isn’t he?!’ Nagito told me once we were out of Fuyuhiko’s earshot.

‘You don’t say… is it true that Hope’s Peak really recruits criminals?’

‘During the 1980’s when crime was at an all time high in Japan, just under a third of applicants came from a criminal background of some kind!’

‘Shit, really? What use could they possibly be to society though?’

‘They were used for gang infiltration mostly’, Nagito explained, ‘It didn’t get rid of the gang problem entirely. It just made it easier for the police to keep tabs on a few gangs rather than many! Things seemed to calm down at the turn of the century, but after the recession, the Kuzuryuu clan saw a huge spike in membership and the Government ended up having another gang war on it’s hands!’ 

‘Yeah I remember reading about that. Do you think that’s why the University recruited Fuyuhiko?’

‘Possibly’, Nagito shrugged, ‘Also his family is insanely rich and influential. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hope’s Peak wanted to share a slice of the pie, even if the money was obtained by illegal means…’

‘Hey!’ we looked up to see the bear like young man striding towards us.

‘Did you manage to find the bathroom alright?’ Nagito asked, ‘I kind of need to find one myself…’

‘Yeah! I had a really good shit!’

‘Talk about too much information…’ I shook my head, ‘So what’s your name then?’

‘Nekomaru Nidai, Ultimate Team Manager!’

‘So, are you like a coach then?’

‘That’s right! Thanks to my leadership I have helped to kickstart the careers of several prominent sports teams. Rumour has it that some team members who were under my watch are being eyed by the recruiters at Hope’s Peak as we speak!’ 

‘Wow, seriously?! I was always wondering why the most popular sports teams in the polls came out of nowhere, I suppose it was thanks to your effort, huh?’

‘I do like to think that yes. A lot of teams before they came under my leadership were broke, obscure and unpopular but after I gave them the leg up, they were suddenly being adored by sports fans across Japan!’

‘I hope that you will prove to great team leader during this time too’, I told him, ‘being marooned on an island, even one as beautiful as this one will require co-operation. Otherwise we might end up cannibalising each other or something…’

Nekomaru patted me on the back, almost knocking the wind out of me, ‘You’re cute Hajime! You don’t have to worry about that though. My pal, Akane told me that there is plenty of food in the cafeteria!’

‘Oh, thank goodness, I’m starving!’ as we made our way to the lodge Nekomaru yelled,

‘I provide great massages too you know! My clients say they are to die for!’

‘Thanks Nekomaru! I will let you know when I could use your service!’ 

I winked in his direction before Nagito and I finally found the dining room. As we stepped inside, we could hear what seemed to be shuffling sound coming from the kitchen. Indeed, the food seemed fresh and plentiful and the facilities looked very clean. In the corner however we looked down to see the muscular girl sitting on the floor, rapidly chowing down on something.

‘Hey, are you alright down there?’ I asked.

‘Oh!’ she looked up at us slightly startled, ‘Don’t mind me!’

‘Akane, are you eating a whole rotisserie chicken?’ Nagito raised an eyebrow.

‘Yeah, so?’ she stood up, ‘There is nothing better than eating meat straight off the bone! It’s what warriors used to do back in the day!’

‘Yes… and I’m pretty sure they used to drink their own piss too…’ I murmured.

'Also, as the Ultimate Gymnast, protein is very important!'

‘So, have you got any tricks you can pull off?’ questioned Nagito.

‘Hold this’, Akane unzipped and handed Nagito her tracksuit before she strode to one of the long tables in the dining room. In a matter of seconds, she had ran up to it and leaped to the surface, performing several back flips before she neatly landed on the other side, panting.

‘Very impressive!’ Nagito nodded as we both clapped, ‘You should enter the Olympics or something!’

‘I would but I’m pretty damn broke right now’, Akane put her tracksuit back on before reaching for the fridge and grabbing a bratwurst, ‘I make most of my cash through street performances. It’s fine though, it’s nice not being under somebody else’s control’.

‘Yeah I heard from athletes that the sports industry can be a little intense’, I told her.

‘Hey, do you know where Peko might be hanging?’ 

‘Um… she was leaving the garden with Sonia the last time we checked’.

‘I see’, Akane quickly stuffed the bratwurst into her mouth before heading towards the door.

‘Looks like Peko has several suitors after her’, I said thinking about Tora’s comments earlier, ‘To be fair though, sword-wielding women are pretty neat if you ask me…’

‘I hope Akane is okay though’, sighed Nagito, ‘she bolts down food like a stray dog. It really makes you think about what her life outside the University is like…’

‘Yeah, I thought that it was unusual too’, I thought back to the other students who had acted oddly like Hiyoko, Gundham and Mikan, as well as the elephant in the room Fuyuhiko, a literal Yakuza member. Now that I saw it for myself, perhaps the lifestyle of these prodigies wasn’t as rosy behind the University’s walls.

The two of us headed upstairs to a lounge where two girls were in the middle of gaming session. The girl in goth attire was playing a rhythm game while Chiaki was laying on her stomach, PlayStation controller in hand, tongue between her teeth, and an intense look of concentration on her face.

‘Aw shucks! I got kicked out again!’ the goth girl lamented, ‘And people call me the Ultimate Musician! Perhaps my notes are just not registering… yeah that must be the reason!’

‘It’s okay Ibuki, we all have our weaknesses. It’s nothing to be ashamed of’, Nagito said.

‘I just hope that there is an actual music venue somewhere. I came across several bridges leading towards neighboring islands, but the rabbit told me they are under construction’.

‘Wait, there’s more?’ 

‘Apparently’, Ibuki sighed, ‘It looks like I’m going to have to stick with the building next door if I want to put my electric guitar to good use’.

‘What’s in there?’ 

‘Not much, it looks like a regular party venue. But hey, it had a cocktail bar so I’m not complaining!’

‘A cocktail bar?! I could certainly do with some alcohol right now…’ I yawned.

‘You were part of Black Cherry right, Ibuki?’ Nagito questioned.

‘Yeah’, she pulled out a cigarette, ‘Not anymore though. I’m not one to follow the crowd and light music just wasn’t my style, so I decided to focus on heavy metal instead’.

‘Oh cool!’ I exclaimed, ‘I’m a bit of a metalhead myself!’

‘Wow! Do you have a favourite band?’

‘Up the Irons!’ I leapt up and punched the air.

‘You have good taste Hajime! I just hope that one day, my music will be up there with the greats!’

‘That would explain the aesthetic change from when I saw Black Cherry perform at my school’, Nagito told her, ‘I have never heard any of your solo stuff though’.

‘Well I am hoping to get set up in that strange building. A few little adjustments should do it!’ Ibuki then knelt beside Chiaki who was playing some kind of RPG, ‘Go on Chiaki! Kick his ass!’ she cheered as the party members threw every weapon they could at a monstrous dragon.

‘Awesome, I still haven’t got to this point in the game. Is this your first super boss?’ I also observed Chiaki's quick reflexes.

‘Nah, I’ve been through worse’, she said as she delivered the killing blow.

‘So, are you like a pro?’ asked Ibuki.

‘I guess I’m just a filthy casual then’, I bowed my head.

‘I don’t believe in that crap’, Chiaki shook her head as her party members all stood in their respective victory poses upon the screen, ‘That concept is all elitist garbage’.

‘But aren’t you the Ultimate Gamer?’ Nagito frowned.

‘Yeah so?’ she shrugged, ‘I still think gatekeeping blows. As a ‘Girl Gamer’ I know the feeling. You still get weirdos who think the hardest game I can play is Barbie Horse Adventures. I have had my fair share of online harassment too’.

‘Well that’s just ridiculous!’ scoffed Ibuki, ‘Video games should be for everyone!’

‘It’s no big deal really, I just block my haters. I actually find the men who ‘befriend’ me online only because they want me to be their ‘video game waifu’ even worse’.

‘Eww, that’s so nasty!’

‘And creepy’, agreed Nagito.

‘At least you won’t have to deal with those freaks, there’s no wifi here!’ I said.

‘Yeah, it’s quite relaxing not having to worry about that so much’, Chiaki yawned, ‘I prefer single player genres anyway, there is something more fulfilling about them. It’s nice to just dive into a good game without having to worry about other people’.

‘Yeah I get what you mean. It’s satisfying to be in control of things for once, where the only thing you have to worry about is whether you have enough equipment to live through the next battle’.

‘I didn’t know you were a control freak Hajime!’ teased Nagito.

‘It’s not that’, I shook my head, ‘After being bossed around at my crappy minimum wage job constantly, it just nice to have some say in your life you know... even if it is only deciding what ridiculous outfits your party members will wear’.

‘You like RPGs too I see?’ Chiaki looked up at me curiously.

‘Yeah. A lot of old farts think video games rot your brains, but I’ve seen more better and more immersive plots in my favourite RPGs than in a lot of books I have read over the years’.

‘I love them too. It is so easy to get sucked into the vast worlds they had to offer. Me and my girlfriend even designed our own games sometimes!’

‘Wow, that’s pretty neat’, Ibuki grinned, ‘You will have to send me the download links to them once we get off this island!’

At that moment however we heard a jingle coming from the speakers around us. We listened to the catchy sound of steel drums before we heard Usami’s voice echo throughout the island.

‘Are you little kittens having fun? Well I hope you are because I have a special treat for you all at the beach. Please head on down there and I will have it ready for you!’

‘Come on! Let’s go already!’ Ibuki pointed in the direction of the sparkling coastline which was visible through the window. Looking in the far distance however, I could see the dark clouds that Byakuya mentioned, and I couldn’t help but feel a little unnerved.

The four of us trekked down the boardwalk where the other students had caught up. We all gathered around the white rabbit who was sitting atop some cardboard boxes.

‘Well go ahead and open up my dear kittens!’ she hopped off the boxes and we stepped forward. Akane took one box while Nekomaru took the other, ripping them open. They each contained a pile of sixteen swimming costumes and towels respectively.

‘Oh cool! So, we can go swimming then?’ Mahiru gasped.

‘Of course!’ she pointed a paw in the direction of some huts, ‘Feel free to get changed!’

‘I’m good…’ Fuyuhiko mumbled as he sat down on the sand, lighting up another cigarette.

‘Me too’, Byakuya took out a parasol and deckchair, before stretching upon it to read a book.

The rest of us however, who were beginning to feel the sweltering heat very much appreciated the idea of leaping into the dazzling ocean and feeling the cool water against our skin.

One by one, I watched as each student pelted into the sea before laughing, getting into splash fights or swimming around in circles. Just as I was about to jump in however, I noticed that one remained on dry land, gazing at the black clouds in the distance.

‘Hey Gundham, aren’t you going to join us?’ I asked but looking closer I spotted the reason why. His left hand and arm was covered in bandages, ‘Holy shit, are you alright?’ I sat down beside him.

‘It’s nothing’, he took out a cigarette, ‘my crows fight a lot and since this is the hand that feeds them, it tends to get scratched up the most’, I debated with myself whether this was a lie or not before Gundham explained, ‘Still, I’ve been in worse predicaments…’ he indicated a variety of scars, big and small which were now visible across his body, each with a story of it’s own. He was quite muscular too which was most likely a product of him handling the more powerful beasts in the animal kingdom.

‘Working with dangerous animals must be no picnic, huh?’

‘It is worth it in the end. My efforts have helped to save several species from extinction’, he told me as he watched his crows picking fights with the seagulls flying above.

‘Wow, that’s amazing!’

‘Not really. I am only helping to turn things back to the way that mother nature originally intended’.

Just as everyone was getting into the swing of things however, the dark clouds which previously loomed in the distance, suddenly swept over us, turning the sky to an ominous grey.

‘Um… what’s going on?’ I stood up as the air became cooler.

‘I can detect an evil presence’, Gundham’s working eye narrowed.

‘Hey what’s going on?’ Kazuichi cried out.

‘Has the Novoselic weather been following me?’ Sonia placed her hands on her hips.

‘I don’t like this… I don’t like this…’ Mikan trembled.

‘Come on!’ yelled Nekomaru, ‘Let’s get changed and seek shelter until the storm has cleared!’

Those in the water ran back to the shore and we ran back into the beach huts and changed. 

‘Were you flirting with Gundham again Hajime?’ Nagito asked as we ran in the direction of the lodge, the rain pelting all around us and the sound of thunder booming in the sky.

Just as we were about to head to the lodge, we spotted Usami, standing on her hind legs and nervously sniffing the air. When she stared in the direction of the garden she froze on the spot and I saw an unnatural angry fire in her eyes as she cautiously moved towards it. Somewhat apprehensively, the sixteen of us followed. We forgot that we were soaking wet and the storm seemed distant as a new, but equally uncomfortable feeling swept over us.

‘What the fuck is that?!’ Fuyuhiko gasped pointing as what seemed to be a red light glowing in the dark. It was like a watchful, piercing eye, giving off an evil aura.

‘I dunno, but something about it makes me feel deeply afraid’, Peko glared in its direction.

‘It’s an omen of death!’ Gundham yelled.

‘Yeah, it looks like something that shouldn’t belong in this world’, Tora loosened her collar slightly.

The creature stood on its hind legs and let out a terrible roar, causing a wave of dread, hopelessness, and despair to crash over us like a tsunami. The animal then spoke in a deep, hellish tone that sent a chill through our very bones.

‘Why hello there, little cubs! How very nice of you to show up!’

A flash of lightning illuminated the plinth, revealing that the jade dragon was not alone. A large hairy mammal was standing upon it, it’s eye fixated on the group. Through the rain we could see white, jagged teeth glinting through a decaying maw and long claws attached to huge paws. 

‘Who are you and what do you want?’ Usami called out.

‘Well’, the animal leaped down from the plinth, causing the ground to tremble slightly, ‘I wish to make a few small changes around here’, looking closer I noticed that it was a bear. While one half of the creature looked like an ordinary polar bear, the other half was as black as the void. All the while, his evil eye glowed, a red pinprick in the dark.

‘What business do you have here Satan?’ Gundham shouted over the thunder.

‘I am not Satan little cubs’, the bear smiled, ‘That guy is nothing compared to me!’

‘Who are you then?’ my voice trembled.

‘I am Monokuma, the lord of all Despair and I will be your judge, jury and executioner on this island!’ The great beast purred as he eyed us hungrily.

‘You have no business on this island you devil’, not seeming the slight bit intimidated by this new arrival despite the dramatic size difference, Usami stood steadfast, as though she had prepared for such an event, ‘You will not hurt anyone Monokuma!’

‘In the wild you would be nothing but prey in my eyes’, the bear snickered as the two animals circled around each other, ‘but now you are merely a nuisance, for I have my eyes set on sweeter meat!’ he turned his head again in our direction, licking his lips. 

Several students screamed. Mahiru and Hyoko held each other in fright while Gundham’s crows let out distraught cries above. Peko and Sonia meanwhile drew their swords while others like Akane, Tora and Nekomaru rose their fists in the beast’s direction. 

‘Resistance is futile little cubs! I am the rightful king of this island, and now it is time for me to take my crown!’, Monokuma grinned in the direction of Usami.

‘You will do no such thing!’ Usami yelled.

‘I will make short work of you bunny rabbit!’

‘Oh yeah, try me!’

The rabbit ran in Monokuma’s direction before leaping and landing a surprisingly powerful kick in between the bear’s eyes. The beast roared in pain as he desperately tried to swipe at Usami with his massive claws. But the rabbit seemed too fast for him as he snapped at her again and again, but to no avail. All the while, the rabbit was landing kicks upon the demon, causing him to scream in anger and agony. It seemed in the moment that Usami was bound to win.

Just as our hopes were running high however, the bear let out a powerful lunge and caught the rabbit in between his jaws. We could only watch in horror as Monokuma shook the rabbit like a dog toy before tossing her aside. Usami hit the plinth with a thud and crashed on the ground, barely moving, her white fur soaking with red.

We stood there like deer in the headlights before we either sobbed or trembled with a mixture of anger and a great anxiety. Monokuma prowled towards the defeated rabbit who blinked up at him hopelessly, ‘I would kill you right here and now, but you see, I like to have a little fun!’ With his other paw, he seemed to conjure up a golden collar before it clamped itself around Usami’s neck, ‘You are my pet now, and I can do with you as I please now that your powers are gone!’

‘You can’t… do this…’ the rabbit passed out before the bear looked at us.

‘As for you lot, I’m going to amp up your stay on this island!’

‘What do you mean?’ I spoke, my voice shaking.

‘It’s quite simple really little cubs, you have to kill each other!’ Our mouths fell open.

‘No way!’ Kazuichi grimaced, ‘There has to be a mistake!’

‘Yeah, we could never bring ourselves to do such a thing!’ I protested.

‘You think so?’ Fuyuhiko chuckled, even he however seemed a little unnerved at the announcement, ‘So… can I kill someone right here and that will be it?’

‘Oh, you’re funny!’ Monokuma laughed, ‘But no. It is vital that you do not get detected. You see... after an investigation of the murder is conducted, a class trial shall be held!’

‘And how does that work?’ asked Mahiru.

‘It’s easy! All you have to do is find out ‘whodunnit’ and you will get to leave unharmed! Except for the blackened of course’, the bear smiled nastily.

‘What do you mean by all that?’ questioned Akane.

‘If you guess wrongly, the blackened will get to leave the island unscathed and the rest of you will end up as bear chow!’ 

‘And if the blackened does get caught?’ Byakuya frowned.

‘Why, they will be executed of course! And I have a very special execution planned out for each of you!’

'No way!' Ibuki quaked.

‘Well’, Nagito said, ‘None of this even matters because we won’t be killing anyway, right guys?’ 

None of us said anything as we all gazed in each other’s direction. Would one of us be willing to commit such an unforgivable act, even under desperate circumstances? Or would I end up horribly underestimating what these mere university students were capable of?

‘As for you my pet’, Monokuma held up the barely conscious Usami by the scruff of her neck, ‘I think a name change is in order!’ He threw her down to the ground a second time, ‘You shall be known as Monomi from now on, since you are under my control’. He looked up at us one more time, ‘Well you had better get killing soon little cubs! If in doubt, I will give you a nudge just to speed things up a bit you know! Anyway, that will be all! Sayonara!’ He and Monomi vanished, but not without letting out one last bone chilling laugh. 

When he was gone, we all stood there like stunned cattle, unsure of what to do.

‘Come on’, Byakuya spoke as the rain continued to fall, ‘We can discuss this in the morning’.

‘Yes, it will do us no good to hang around here’, agreed Chiaki, ‘Let’s get back to the lodge’.

None of us said anything as we solemnly walked back towards the large wooden building. We were soaking wet at this point, our hair plastered against our faces, but that was the least of our worries as the sixteen of us reached into a box labelled, ‘Room keys’. We each grabbed our respective ones before we found the sleeping quarters at last.

‘Well’, Nagito hung his head, ‘I guess this is goodnight then…’

‘Yeah’, I nodded, ‘Good night Nagito’. 

I shut the door, stripped off my soggy clothes and collapsed onto the bed as the storm continued to rage outside. I would have gone to sleep but the waves of despair crashed over me, as I realised that we were no longer safe here. We were condemned to whatever plans that monster had for us on this isle of the damned.


	2. Part 1 Blood and Booze: Day 1 Normal Island Life

I woke up the next morning from a troubled sleep. The storm had cleared but the sick feeling in my stomach had not as I got changed and opened my window. 

‘What the Hell?’ I jumped back. I thought the worst was over but clearly it wasn’t. In the distance I saw a large smoking volcano. While it was far away from the island, suddenly seeing an active volcano appear out of nowhere filled me with dread. I stepped outside to see the others emerging from their rooms, equally confused and fearful as I was. 

‘I definitely do not remember seeing a volcano here!’ Kazuichi cried.

‘Gundham was right. Maybe we are in hell after all!’ Ibuki exclaimed as we made our way to the cafeteria and stared out of the window.

‘I always knew that Japan was situated on a particularly unstable part of the world, but I didn’t know volcanoes could appear out of nowhere!’ Sonia gasped.

‘We don’t even know if we are in Japan. And even over there, giant volcanoes do not simply appear overnight’, Peko frowned, ‘Nevertheless I am scared, that thing looks taller than Mount Fuji!’

‘My crows have become increasingly agitated. Most animals can pick up signs of oncoming natural disasters earlier than most humans can’, Gundham spoke.

‘Yeah, during the night I could hear the birds and monkeys on the island and they sounded pretty distressed’, Chiaki looked around anxiously, ‘I’m pretty sure that isn’t normal’.

‘What are we gonna do?’ Akane yelled, ‘Build a fallout shelter?’

‘I’m not sure if there is much we can do’, sighed Mahiru.

‘Well I hope this eruption comes soon because I would rather die in the blast than face the clan back home’, Fuyuhiko gritted his teeth as he sat in the corner, hat over his eyes and feet on the table.

‘Then of course there is this killing game’, Byakuya said, ‘I wonder if Monokuma put the volcano there to get us to hurry up with the whole murdering process’.

‘Like a motive of sorts?’ Tora narrowed her eyes.

‘Does that mean that unless we start killing, we will all die in a cloud of ash and fire?’ Mikan gulped.

‘Yup!’ Hiyoko approached her, ‘You will be turned into a crisp before you can even scream!’ she began to contort herself, causing Mikan to dart under one of the tables in fright.

‘Knock it off you little monster’, Chiaki sighed as Hiyoko let out an evil giggle.

‘Seriously though, what can we do?’ Nekomaru yelled, ‘We can’t just become sitting ducks, surely?’

‘There isn’t much we can do about it now’, Byakuya stood to face us, ‘All we can do is keep an eye on the volcano’s activities. In the meantime, it is vital that we all stick together’.

‘And above all we must remain optimistic’, Nagito pointed out, ‘Without hope, we will allow despair to control and manipulate us. Despair does crazy things to people you know!’

‘Yes’, Byakuya cleared his throat, ‘We must maintain morale, otherwise we are good as dead', he adjusted his glasses, 'that is why tomorrow night, we are going to be holding a party’.

‘Did someone say party?’ Ibuki’s head perked up.

‘You heard me correctly. I feel the building next door to the lodge will be an ideal venue. I will handle food preparation; the Togami family has its own recipe book I can reference from’.

‘Awesome, I can help set up the music!’ Ibuki jumped in the air enthusiastically.

‘I shall tend to the decorations’, Nagito said, ‘That smelly old building will be swimming with joy by the time I’m finished. I’m going to make this party to die for!’

‘I can help with the lighting. We will make this thing kick ass!’ Kazuichi grinned.

‘It’s settled then’, Byakuya nodded, ‘We shall start setting up tonight’.

We all sat down to eat breakfast, our backs to the smoking volcano which stood out in the otherwise enchanting landscape. When I finished munching on a bacon sandwich, I decided to take my coffee flask outside so I could sit on the beach and properly contemplate what was going on for myself. 

As the sea lapped against the white sand, I had no idea that this tropical paradise would soon become a place of horror and despair. Surely Monokuma’s warnings the previous night and the billowing volcano should have been enough to convince me? While my gut feeling did warn me of something ever since I first set foot here, I was nevertheless in denial like the others. We were all so naïve, and as I sat there, listening to the sound of the palm trees rustling in the wind, I would greatly underestimate the true extent of the great misery that was soon to befall my friends and I.

I continued to bask in my obliviousness when I heard footsteps upon the boardwalk and the sound of two bold female voices coming closer. Looking behind me, I saw Tora and Akane marching towards the shoreline. The two of them had their jackets around their waists and I could see their muscular arms. When they started eyeing one another I saw that they were in confrontation. It was hard to ignore as they began to circle around one another.

‘This is it then’, Akane yelled, grinning confidently, ‘Whoever wins this gets to be the first to ask Peko out for the party tomorrow’, she threw her jacket aside.

‘Yeah, let’s bring it on already!’ Tora smirked before she did the same with hers. 

Before my eyes the two girls were upon each other, becoming a ball of flailing limbs. The two of them were like lionesses as they roared and pounced at their respective opponent, kicking up a lot of sand and water as they did so. Whenever I caught a glimpse of their eyes, it looked as though they were filled with fire. Ultimately however Tora got the upper hand as she pinned Akane down.

‘Damn it!’ Akane pounded her fist on the ground before getting back onto her feet, brushing the sand off herself in a disgruntled way.

‘Better luck next time Akane’, Tora gave her a pat on the back.

‘I will beat you next time! I will make sure of it!’

‘I think you need to catch up on your fighting skills before you try taking me on again’, Tora put her jacket back on before heading back in the direction of the lodge.

‘You bet I will!’

‘Peko Pekoyama here I come!’ Tora whooped, picking a flower from a nearby bush and placing it in her jacket.

‘What a bummer’, Akane zipped up her own jacket and sat down beside me, ‘I almost had it in the bag there! Then again, I didn’t know that Tora was such a strong lass’.

‘Yeah, she’s definitely got some guns on her!’

‘It’s no use’, she sighed, ‘She's too strong'.

‘Well there is always room for improvement I suppose’, a light bulb then clicked on in my head, ‘Why not speak to Nekomaru? If anyone can train you to match Tora in combat, he can surely?’

‘That’s a great idea actually’, Akane beamed, ‘Are you sure he will be willing to train someone like me though? I’m just a street performer. I will be old and grey by the time I raise enough to pay the bills, let alone afford personal training sessions. Besides, isn’t he a team manager?’

‘I’m sure he is willing to make exceptions Akane, he seems like a cool dude… even though he talks too much shit for my liking…’ I turned away, ‘Although he does do great massages apparently…’

‘Well… I suppose I should try asking at least…’ she sighed, ‘I’m probably going to have a nice hot bath first though. My muscles are killing me, and I have swallowed more sand than I would like…’

‘I hate sand too, it gets up your ass no matter what’, the two of us stood up and walked back towards the lodge, before she went inside, I gave her a pat on the back, ‘Go get her Akane!’

‘Don’t worry I will’, she winked. I felt relief as I had apparently cheered her up a little. 

By the time I got back the lodge appeared quieter, so I decided to sit down upon the patio. I once again stared back at the volcano, resembling a chimney puffing out a black pillar of smoke in sharp contrast to the midst of blue and green.

‘Hello there darling’, I saw Sonia wave in my direction, holding a large black book which looked ancient.

‘Good morning Princess’, I bowed, ‘What’s that you’ve got there?’

‘It’s just something for my studies’, Sonia beamed, ‘Studying is one of the most important aspects about being a princess! A strong mind makes for a strong ruler!’

‘I see...' I frowned, 'So... Are you excited for the party tomorrow?’

‘Oh, most definitely, it will be nice going to something that isn’t overly lavish for a change. The same ballroom routine gets a little tiring after a while’.

‘Yeah, you can’t exactly ‘go wild’ at those kind of parties’, I laughed, ‘Do you have a date?’

‘Yes, I do actually’, she nodded enthusiastically, ‘Gundham is accompanying me’.

‘Cool’, I grinned sheepishly. While I felt happy for the two of them, my heart still ached slightly.

‘The two of us walked around the island last night, it helped to calm our nerves’.

‘Seriously? Isn’t walking around an island in the dead of night the last thing you want to do after seeing… that abomination’, I swallowed as I looked back towards the dragon statue.

‘I couldn’t get to sleep last night so I went to the kitchen to get a night-time snack and I met him there. The storm soon cleared up so we thought it might be nice to have a little outdoor stroll! The island is surprisingly beautiful in the dark you know?’

‘Did either of you see the volcano appear?’

‘No, although I remember the moon being blood red’.

‘Well that’s just great isn’t it…’

‘No, it was really quite beautiful. It helped to light up the path too!’

‘I’d see something like that as an omen of death myself but what may be one thing to one person, may be something completely different to another’, I shrugged.

Then without warning, Sonia turned to me and said, ‘I know you are jealous Hajime’.

‘No, I’m happy for you. Considering you are both into freaky shit, I think you are ideal for each other!’ I held out my hands, ‘I don’t want to get in the way or anything!’

‘He told me about you’.

‘Seriously?’

‘Oh yes! He said he admired you for approaching him the way you did’.

‘Damn… I didn’t know…’ I scratched my head, ‘While he was cute, he did come off as standoffish’.

‘Oh, he’s so painfully shy around others. It’s best to catch him while he’s alone and to allow him to approach you before approaching him’.

‘So, he likes to call the shots then, huh?’ I smirked.

‘Pretty much. Also, when it comes to affection, you should let him initiate first. I made the mistake of going the other way round, and he just sort of… froze up, like a scared rabbit would’.

‘Jesus… Why doesn’t he like being touched?’

‘He says it’s to do with him having poisonous blood or something like that, although…’ she bowed her head, ‘There could obviously be darker reasons that he wishes not to go into detail about’.

‘Oh my God I hope not’, I sighed, ‘Doesn’t he like you too though?’

‘Well… how do I explain it?’ she paused, ‘Gundham and I are ‘free birds’ when it comes to dating’.

‘So, are you, like… in one of those open relationships?’

‘If you want to call it that then yes. I knew that we would make a beeline to each other sooner or later, especially as he was an acquaintance of mine’.

‘You knew each other previously?’

‘We have had our encounters’, she explained, ‘He helped to assist in the breeding of Novoselic horses. The breed had been on the decline for a while. Efforts of local breeders turned out to be unsuccessful, so the Royal Family in a last-ditch effort ended up calling for international help'.

'Wow! Is that how you both met then?'

She nodded, 'Sadly our relationship could never go far due to outside commitments. Still, every time he did visit, we had our ‘flings’. Now I am away from the pesky paparazzi, we can finally start dating properly!’

‘Well obviously it would be wrong for me to come between you two’, I insisted.

Sonia shook her head, ‘We don’t want to be restrained by the chains of monogamy. Our relationship is the main tree, but we are both quite happy to branch out so long as we both agree to it’.

‘So, I can… you know?’ 

‘Tell Gundham I give my approval. You might want to try him later though, he said he was going up for a ‘dark slumber’ after breakfast. He is a creature of the night after all!’

‘Of course… so, if you are in that kind of relationship, who else on the island takes your fancy then Sonia?’

‘I would say Peko, but all the girls seem to be after her right now. What’s more I saw her being asked out to the party by Tora’, she frowned, ‘Tora is cute too though’.

‘Are threesomes on the table?’

‘I don’t think so, not yet anyway’, she took a deep breath, ‘Apart from Gundham I haven’t dated anyone outside my social class, so I don’t yet know exactly how I’m going to approach them…’

‘Just act normal, I guess?’

‘My position isn’t exactly ‘normal’ though, is it? How can I speak to them without seeming out of touch? How do you think a good princess will communicate?’

‘Ugh…’ there was an awkward pause, ‘Life isn’t about all about blending in, often it’s who you really are that is valuable. If you want to make friends it all comes down to being yourself, without the peer pressure of society. I’m no expert but that’s just my take’.

‘That sounds like a wonderful idea Hajime, you are such a genius!’

‘Oh, I don’t know about that…’ 

‘Anyway, Hajime I’m going to have an afternoon beauty sleep. I need to catch up too’, she yawned before the two of us stepped inside the lodge and headed up the stairs, ‘Well see you around darling!’ she held out a hand and I kissed it.

When she departed, I sat in the lounge where Mikan and Chiaki were situated.

‘How do you have such quick reflexes Chiaki?’ Mikan sat on one of the comfy sofas, mesmerised.

‘Seriously, are there any games you are not good at?’ I asked as I watched her play. This time she was in the middle of a hack and slash game, sending many skeletons flying into the air.

‘Visual novels probably’, she replied, her eyes remaining sharply focused on the screen.

‘I dunno’, I stretched and yawned, ‘visual novels have some pretty stellar storytelling if you ask me, when the writing isn’t ruined by fanservice that is…’ I rolled my eyes, ‘That is one of the reasons why I have distanced myself from the genre lately’.

‘Yeah that can be a pain in the ass sometimes’, she yawned.

‘You got a favourite game genre, Mikan?’ I turned to face her.

She laughed feebly, ‘Forgive me if this sounds weird but I have always had a soft spot for horror’.

‘Really?! I didn’t think you would be the type to enjoy such a thing…’

‘I just enjoy the aesthetic, it’s kind of relaxing really’.

‘Relaxing, seriously?! If anything, they give me sleepless nights and raise my blood pressure! Isn’t that the whole point of them, to scare you shitless?’

‘For me at least…’ Mikan twizzled her hair, ‘they have helped me cope with the world. They have helped me realise that there are scarier things in the world than monsters or demons. No matter how real they can get, I am reassured that they will never quite match how scary reality can be. Also, they have helped me to understand myself in a way too, that’s what’s so comforting about them’.

‘Damn’, my thoughts rang out to me, ‘what is so wretched and horrible in the world that caused this girl to become practically immune to even the most disturbing games out there?’ For obvious reasons, I felt it best not to ask as Mikan continued to watch Chiaki in awe.

‘That is what is so fascinating about video games, they are all up for interpretation’, I heard Chiaki speak.

‘Is that why there are so many batshit theories around them?’ I said.

‘Oh Hajime’, I heard a familiar voice behind me, ‘you do know it’s just a theory right, a game theo…’

‘NO!’ I yelled.

‘Hey Nagito’, Chiaki acknowledged his presence, ‘how are party preparations going?’

‘It’s going great!’ Nagito grinned, ‘It’s very tiring though, maybe I am not so lucky after all… So, Hajime, any luck wooing Gundham?’

‘Not yet, Sonia told me he’s asleep’.

‘Or he is simply hiding in his coffin until the night arrives! When you do meet him though, you had better check that there are no marks on your neck afterwards!’ he winked before asking, ‘So Chiaki, who are you bringing to the party tomorrow?’

‘Mikan’, she answered, ‘She gave me a new perspective on games that I had never even considered before, which is why I think she’s cool’.

‘You think I’m cool?’ Mikan’s face turned shockingly red, ‘Nobody has ever said that to me before!’

‘I’m going to host a horror gaming marathon since Mikan recommended a few promising titles to me. I’m going to wait until nightfall though, in my opinion you can’t get fully absorbed into horror unless you adjust the environment around you’.

‘That sounds fun’, Nagito beamed, ‘Are others invited?’

‘Of course, anyone can come along. If you are brave enough of course!’

‘Whatdaya say Hajime? You coming along?’

‘Sure, I haven’t got anything better to do. I will probably spend most of it behind the sofa though…’

‘Oh Hajime!’ Nagito clapped me on the back, ‘But one thing, does bug me… why are we having a horror night shortly after a big scary volcano appeared in the ocean?’

‘Well I suppose it’s kind of like what Mikan said. Horror games as terrifying as they may be, will never quite match the very real horrors of the outside world’.

‘I think I see where you are coming from’, Nagito frowned, ‘Either way I need to tell Ibuki. She’s a die-hard horror fan too, although she’s more into classic slasher films’.

‘Survival horror is superior when it comes to evoking our greatest fears. That feeling of exposure and vulnerability does a much better job at sending a shiver through your bones. Slasher films are just popcorn flicks with a bit of an edge to them’, Mikan spoke.

‘I don’t mind so long as they don’t constantly rely on jumpscares’, Chiaki shrugged, ‘those are just cheap scare tactics that add nothing to the table’.

‘Not to mention the fact that I almost end up having a heart attack every time one is thrust upon me as a shitty joke at Halloween’, I sighed, ‘So Nagito where is that cocktail bar? I haven’t had a good drink in a while and after all the shit that has unfolded recently, I need one more than anything!’

‘Right this way Hajime!’ Nagito gestured for me to follow and I went back down the stairs.

Nagito and I walked towards the old building next door. Despite being small however it looked relatively cosy. When we stepped inside, we saw that Kazuichi had draped fairy lights along the walls, and Ibuki had set up a stage and was currently practicing her chords.

‘Oh boy, I really hope I can get back into sync by tomorrow night’, she said anxiously.

‘Hey guys!’ Kazuichi greeted us, ‘Check out my magnum opus!’ he pointed at a large chandelier which dangled over the wooden dance floor.

‘That looks great Kazuichi!’ Nagito beamed.

‘I dunno, it looks a little unstable…’ I swear could hear the ceiling creaking slightly.

‘That’s just because it’s an old building, it’s something to be expected’, Kazuichi explained ‘but don’t worry I checked it multiple times and it’s screwed in pretty damn tightly’.

I only had one goal in mind, however.

‘Oh boy, booze!’ my eyes widened when the cocktail bar came into sight. Sitting upon it were Peko and Tora in the middle of an enthusiastic conversation.

‘Is it true then?’ Tora took a sip from her Martini, ‘Did you really fight off a tribe of macaques?’

‘Yes, I did’, Peko held up her Bloody Mary, ‘Shortly after my childhood friend and I escaped our kidnappers’ clutches, we ended up on the bad side of some particularly aggressive monkeys. My friend accidentally disturbed them, and they were upon us in seconds. My sword was taken away by my captors, so I was forced to use a tree branch to hold them off’.

‘Damn! You were kidnapped AND got attacked by rabid monkeys?’, I began to pour myself a Mojito while Nagito chose a harmless ramune soda.

‘Yeah. But thankfully the spot where we were attacked happened to be near a farming village. The residents overheard the commotion and drove the macaques away with their dogs. They then took us in until my family could pick us up’.

‘You know what they say!’ Nagito chimed in, ‘No more monkey business!’

‘Whenever we went on trips to the zoo after that experience, my friend would floor it whenever we got to the monkey enclosures’, she chuckled.

‘I always thought monkeys were kind of cute’, Tora said, ‘They were my older brother’s favourite animal. When he died in a racing accident, we actually had one engraved on his tombstone’.

‘I’m so sorry’, Peko bowed her head, ‘… I didn’t know’.

‘It’s fine’, Tora put a hand on her shoulder, ‘I began racing because of him. When he perished, I made a promise that I would carry on his legacy… I like to think that I have fulfilled that wish’.

‘I’m sure you have Tora! You are a famous across Japan for your racing skills. That’s quite the achievement if I don’t say so myself’, she took her hand.

‘Yeah I suppose so…’ she smiled feebly before kissing Peko on the cheek.

Nagito and I talked to the two of them a little longer before we stepped outside to see Mahiru and Hiyoko, hand in hand, heading back from the beach.

‘I assume you are bringing Mahiru along as your date to the party Hiyoko?’ Nagito winked,

‘Yeah, what’s it to ya?’ Hiyoko huffed.

‘Are you playing matchmaker over here Nagito?’ frowned Mahiru.

‘Maybe…’ Nagito’s eyes flicked to the side, ‘Anyway Hajime, I had better get back to work on this thing. I need to make sure this party ends with a bang!’ and with that he re-entered the building.

When dusk came, the sky became tinged with pink as I trekked down the boardwalk. Looking towards the horizon, I spotted several dolphins leap out of the water, reaching great heights. Soaring above them were four specs of black, looking for fish that the dolphins had missed in their feeding frenzy. Upon the beach, their master was watching them.

‘Hey Gundham! I’ve never seen dolphins up this close in the wild before!’, I sat down on a nearby log, ‘You know, sometimes I wish I was a dolphin. Just imagine all of that freedom!’

‘Nature is cruel Hajime’, he looked towards the smoke pillar in the sky, ‘even the most intelligent of creatures like dolphins are not immune to Mother Nature’s violence. But yes, there is something admirable about them having full control of their lives. Humans are said to be the smartest organisms on the planet, yet we are kept shackled down in our society, unable to pursue our hopes and dreams. Dolphins have their own communities, languages and personalities like us, yet they are not tied down by some unseen higher powers like we are’.

‘Yeah, with them having similar tendencies to ours, it seems cruel to keep them in tanks to perform the same repetitive tricks just to please a crowd of screaming people. I’m no animal rights activist but it seems a little unnatural for them to be kept in such a way’.

Gundham bowed his head and I swear I saw a single tear run down his cheek, ‘Humans have always had a desire to control things, no matter how much suffering it takes to achieve such ends. You are not like other humans however, Hajime Hinata’.

For the next few minutes, we both sat in silence, hearing nothing but the sound of the waves. After a while however, to my surprise, Gundham slowly and somewhat cautiously approached me. When our eyes met, he made a subtle gesture for me to scoot over. When the dolphins finally dove back to the depths, the crows returned to their master’s side. 

‘So where did you get your crows from?’ I asked.

‘My four dark devas of destruction are more than crows. They have been around for thousands of years, taking the forms of various beasts. I first encountered them when I was a high school student, I was walking past a pet shop when four hamsters looked up at me. Almost straight away I knew they held otherworldly energy, so I took them in’.

‘Are you saying your crows used to be hamsters?’ I chuckled, 'So it was like a reincarnation thing then?'

'If that's what you mortals refer to it as', he nodded.

‘Seriously though, I love hamsters, they are so funny! I used to own one myself and I spent most of my pocket money adding extensions to her cage.’

Gundham cracked a smile, ‘I spent two happy years with them until they passed on. After I buried them, I thought all my hope and happiness was forever lost', he bowed his head, 'until one day I spotted a nest in a nearby tree. I found the mother nearby, dead, killed by a fox most likely. When I decided to raise the chicks myself, I soon realised that they held the same powers as the Four Dark Devas in their previous life. As of that moment, I knew that I would be their guardian until the day when I myself return to the Demon Realm and I find a new soul worthy enough to watch over them’.

‘I see... So Gundham, do you want to spend some time with me at the party tomorrow? I know you are going to spend most of the night with Sonia but if you have any gaps in between your date, I can help fill them. I spoke with Sonia earlier and she said it was okay’.

‘Did she now?’ he gazed up at the sky which was beginning to twinkle with stars, ‘The Dark Queen knows how to tell the difference between friend and foe. Her level of power matches, if not surpasses mine. Therefore if she gave you her word, I don’t have any reason not to trust you’.

‘So, that’s a yes then?’

Rather than answering I felt his hand tightly grip mine. As my heart began to pound uncontrollably, I almost instinctively grabbed it in return and I could feel the beating of his pulse too. For a moment I thought that dark magic was at play, binding our hands together like invisible chains. 

‘Hey Hajime!’

‘What hellish entity has appeared?’ Gundham stood up abruptly, causing us to break apart.

‘It’s okay Gundham it’s only Nagito’, I rolled my eyes as I saw him appear.

‘Sorry to butt into your little affair but Byakuya wishes us to gather for dinner’, he said.

‘Come on’, I gestured for Gundham to follow, ‘Why don’t you bring Sonia along for the horror night we are having? It will be a good opportunity for us to get comfortable with each other too’.

‘Very well Hajime, I shall summon the Dark Queen to this nightly gathering’.

The three of us headed back to the lodge which was lit up. Stepping inside, the delicious smell of fish soup wafted into our nostrils and upon the long table were sixteen steaming bowls. 

‘Wow Byakuya is that one of your family recipes?’ I asked as I sat down with the others.

'That is correct', he nodded.

‘This really hits the spot!’ Akane smacked her lips.

‘I can’t wait to see what other recipes you have to share with us at the party tomorrow’, Nagito said.

‘Nice try, but my recipes are a family secret’, Byakuya frowned.

‘Who can blame you? This matches the quality of Novoselic’s finest cuisine’, Sonia beamed.

‘It’s okay…’ Fuyuhiko uttered. We guessed in his words that meant ‘good’. 

Despite being warmed up by the soup however, it still did not manage to fully shake off the feeling of inner dread we all shared. I and the others attending the horror night however tried to put the real horror in the back of our minds. I picked up some snacks from the kitchen and headed to the lounge. Inside I saw Chiaki, Mikan, Nagito, Ibuki and Sonia.

‘Hello darling’, Sonia beckoned me over as I opened up a large bag of salted peanuts, ‘Don’t worry, Gundham should be down here shortly’.

‘Well let’s not wait around!’ Ibuki switched off the lights, torch in hand ‘The witching hour will be upon us soon!’ she let out an evil laugh as she shone it to her face.

‘At least keep the torch turned on’, I chewed on my salted peanuts nervously, ‘Ever since I played Amnesia, I cannot manoeuvre around in the dark without freaking out!’

‘I had better get this thing cranked up then’, Chiaki turned on the console and before long, she was playing a game in which the protagonist was trapped in a dark mansion.  
Once she was immersed, we began to chat amongst ourselves, although we would jump whenever strange sounds echoed throughout the house.

‘Oh God…’ I trembled, ‘Anything but a baby crying… that is without a doubt the worst thing to hear when you are alone in a scary abandoned mansion’.

‘I wonder when the first monster will pop out?’ Ibuki watched the screen closely.

‘Ever since I was a child, I always feared monsters would grab me. I used to have nightmares all the time of these long hairy fingers clawing at me. I don’t know why but… it felt like it was really happening sometimes’, Mikan bit her thumb as she tucked her legs into her chest.

‘Holy crap!’ I cried out in horror.

‘Then again people often think they are falling in their dreams when they are not, perhaps it was just something like that’, Mikan laughed timidly but we were still unnerved by her statement, ‘nevertheless, I still check under the bed and inside the closet before I go to sleep, just in case’.

‘Yeah... dreams can do that’, Ibuki shrugged, ‘Sometimes I actually did fall out of my bed though…’

‘It’s even worse for me’, Nagito told us ‘I tend to sleepwalk. I came close to walking right off the balcony several times before my parents insisted that I lock my bedroom door at night!’

‘Hang on...', I sat up, 'Where is Gundham, he should have turned up by now surely?’

‘Yeah, he’s taking an awfully long time, I sure hope he’s okay’, Mikan sighed.

I knew that he was probably just tending to his crows but nevertheless, his delay made me feel a tinge of anxiety. It only worsened when I noticed that Sonia was checking the lounge door repeatedly.

‘Maybe he’s chosen to hang out with his crows over you Hajime’, Nagito shrugged.

‘Sorry I am late mortals’, Gundham finally appeared, ‘Do not fear, I was merely tending to the wounds of my labour’, he pointed to his newly bandaged arm. Sonia and I nevertheless exchanged concerned looks. He did not seem to notice however as we scooted over so he could sit between us.

‘Well at least you are here now’, Sonia said as Gundham put his arms around our shoulders while his crows hopped around the room, occasionally trying to grab a crisp or peanut for themselves.

‘Oh my God the first monster has appeared!’ Ibuki pointed at the screen as Chiaki’s character ran down a dark hallway, the sound of heavy footsteps getting closer and closer. 

‘This reminds me of the time when I was chased by a particularly feisty African bull elephant at one of the zoos I worked at. I only escaped by climbing up the fence and leaping down, I gave myself a few cracked ribs but I escaped with my life. Then again, that is the least of my fears’, Gundham explained, ‘I like to see it as my way of getting fit’.

'Kind of like parkour then?' Chiaki questioned as her character finally managed to trap the monster behind her.

‘What is your greatest fear then?’ Nagito asked. Suddenly I saw Gundham’s fists clench and his body shake and sweat a little before he merely looked down at his lap and said nothing.

‘Gundham?’ Sonia put a hand on his shoulder before he took and kissed it.

‘It’s fine, my dark queen. It really is’, he uttered, although I had a feeling it really wasn’t.

At that moment a most terrible sound echoed over the island, the closest I can describe it is a Hellish trumpet. It was then when we heard that monster’s terrible voice.

‘Can I have your attention little cubs? Please meet me in the garden! Oh boy, have I got a show for you! Well, what are you waiting for? Chop chop!’

‘What the Hell does he want this time?’ I grumbled as I stood up along with the others.

‘Yeah, I was so close!’ Chiaki yawned as she reluctantly paused the game, ‘Well it seems that we don’t have much of a choice’.

‘This had better be quick’, Gundham uttered.

‘Relax everyone’, Nagito said as we stepped out into the night where the moon was, much to my relief, not the colour of blood, ‘Are any of you really going to take the words of murder bear seriously?’

‘What the Hell does that furry fuck want this time’, I saw Kazuichi emerge, hauling a heavy bag. Apparently, he had indeed been scavenging for scrap metal on the beach.

‘I dunno but it can’t be good’, Tora said as she clutched Peko’s hand.

‘Look’, Nagito pointed, ‘It seems our furry friend wants to meet us in style’.

'I suppose we should go and see what he wants', said Peko.

In the garden we gathered around a pop-up stage. The bear sat there, his eyes looming hungrily over us once again. Monomi was there too, this time her collar was attached to a matching golden leash which the bear kept a tight hold of.

‘Hello little cubs, it is so nice to see you all on this fine evening. Do you like my change of scenery?’, he gestured towards the volcano, ‘Pretty neat isn’t it?’

‘Most unflattering! It would spoil any picture one would try to paint of this island’, Sonia commented.

‘What is the purpose of that thing anyway?’ I asked, but the bear simply ignored me.

‘So little cubs, are you ready for me to spill the tea?’ Monokuma grinned as he tugged sharply on the chain which caused the poor rabbit to smack into the floor, coughing and spluttering.

‘Not particularly’, I yawned.

‘Your memories, the ones during your time at Hope’s Peak University, well... they are all gone!’ he laughed as the ground quaked around us, ‘Two years worth specifically!’

‘What the actual fuck?!’ Fuyuhiko gasped.

‘But that means… we have aged two years’, Peko scratched her head.

‘You did this, didn’t you Monokuma!?’ snapped Akane.

‘Explain this you devil!’ Byakuya snarled.

‘Woah calm down! It wasn’t me who put you in this predicament you know!’

‘Yeah, because you look SO trustworthy!’, Tora replied sarcastically.

‘What good reason do we have to believe a hairy motherfucker like you?’ I raised an eyebrow.

‘I’m serious!’, the bear held up a paw, ‘As suspicious as I may look, I am not the culprit here!’

‘But if not you, then who?’ Nekomaru questioned.

The bear slammed the leash down like a whip, tossing Monomi in the air before she hit the ground hard, ‘This is the one who snatched your precious memories away from you’.

‘Please…’ Monomi panted, coughing up a small amount of blood, ‘It’s not what you think…’

‘Silence rodent!’ Monokuma roared, who sent the rabbit flying into the air a third time, landing with a thud.

‘So, you did get us into this mess then?’ Fuyuhiko shot Monomi a venomous glare.

‘Yeah what is the meaning of this, you poor excuse for a rabbit?!’ Gundham growled.

‘I… I…’, Monomi tried to speak but the bear unsheathed his claws and swiped at her.

‘I thought I told you to be quiet!’ he roared angrily, ‘Now what I saying, little cubs?’ he quickly returned to his calm demeanor, ‘Oh yes! You see… Monomi is an overseer for a certain big bad organisation back on the mainland!’

‘What kind of organisation is this, and what do they want?’ Sonia clapped a hand to her mouth.

‘They want to use you’, the bear purred, ‘for their own sick and twisted purposes!’

‘Isn’t that what you are doing though?’ Mahiru protested.

‘In a way, I am doing the world a huge favour. I am overseeing the killing game for the greater good you could say’, he snickered, ‘Oh and that reminds me, I have one last mug of scalding tea to spill!’

‘What would that be, you furry creep?’ Hiyoko scoffed.

‘There is a filthy spy among you’, he told us as we all turned to look at each other for any suspicious signs, ‘Anyway, I think that will be all little cubs!’

‘Wait! Who is this spy? And what is the name of this evil organisation?’ I asked but it was too late.

‘Sayonara little cubs!’ and with that, he and his prisoner had vanished into thin air yet again.


	3. Part 1 Blood and Booze: Day 2 Normal Island Life

We returned to the lodge, unsure of what to make of the situation before us. 

‘Do you really think there is some crazy outside organisation keeping us trapped here?’ Ibuki gasped as we all took seats in the dining room, coming to terms with everything that just occurred.

‘I wouldn’t be surprised’, Mahiru frowned, ‘Why else would sixteen university students be sent to an island in the middle of nowhere without a clear explanation?’

‘Hello! Is anyone forgetting the whole amnesia thing?’ I pointed out, ‘What is the meaning of that? I thought I had just woken up from a very bad hangover, but it seems we have aged two damn years!’

‘Of course, that demon could just be playing mind games with us’, Byakuya said, ‘He may be saying these things to sow discontent among us’.

‘Nevertheless, I am curious about the true reason why we are here’, Nagito replied, ‘We can’t be in this situation for no reason. There has to be an explanation surely?!’

‘What if Monokuma is right though? For all we know, someone really could have taken our University memories away from us. The last thing we all remember is going through the entrance, right?’ Kazuichi looked around at us all and we nodded.

‘What purpose is there though? Unless of course we came across some dark secret that Hopes Peak officials wanted us to forget. I mean strange rumours have always circulated the place, right? Maybe we accidentally ran into some illegal experiment they were conducting, and our memories were wiped for secrecy’s sake’, I suggested.

‘Maybe… it still seems a little far-fetched though’, said Peko, ‘Still, I wonder what happened in those two years, even if nothing particularly extraordinary occurred’.

‘Perhaps Japan will finally be at the mercy of the Kuzuryuu clan!’ Fuyuhiko grinned wickedly.

‘Maybe Elder Scrolls Six has finally come out…’ Chiaki yawned, 'or Half Life 3...'

‘Yeah, who knows what could have happened?’ I shrugged.

‘Then there is the matter of who is responsible for the mess we are in… the mastermind behind our situation’, Byakuya stared back at the volcano, which gave a hellish red glow in the dark.

‘One thing is for certain, dark forces have risen up from the depths of Oblivion to bring chaos to this island’, Gundham spoke, ‘For that we must remain vigilant!’

‘Gundham you’ve got it!’ Chiaki gasped.

‘What?!’

‘Damnit!’ she stood up, ‘I knew Todd Howard is the one behind all of this!’

‘Did I hear that correctly?’ I tilted my head.

‘You heard me!’, she raised her fist in the air, ‘You can’t hide forever Todd, I will expose your evil ways!'

‘I’m not sure if we can, at least not today’, Byakuya adjusted his glasses again, ‘‘Todd’ could be hiding anywhere on this island. Right now, all we can do is stick together. The building next door is almost good to go, and I expect you all to be there, no exceptions!’

‘Nah, I think I’m good’, Fuyuhiko took out a cigar.

‘The rest of you will be attending though, right?’ Byakuya shot us all a stern glare.

‘Of course!’ Nagito nodded, ‘Who would want to miss such an explosive event?’

After some further talk and confusion, those of us who were attending decided to carry on with the horror night. Once we were settled down and the initial shock was over, we began to jokingly debate the possible reasons for our apparent amnesia.

‘Maybe we were kidnapped by aliens’, Ibuki spoke in a dramatic tone, ‘and then when the aliens were done experimenting on us, they wiped our memories so we could never inform the world of their existence and their ultimate goals for world domination!’

‘Eek! Ibuki don’t scare me like that’, Mikan quaked.

‘No, it was clearly the work of dark magic that has got us into this situation’, Gundham retorted, ‘If our memories truly were erased, how come they were so precise?’

‘He has a point’, I said, ‘I mean, our last memories of the outside world was entering those doors. Maybe sorcery is at play after all!’

‘When you are dealing with entities from another world, that doesn’t seem outside the realm of possibilities’, Sonia pulled out ancient and mysterious black book from her bag, ‘Perhaps we saw things that were too horrifying for our mortal minds to comprehend!’ 

‘Jesus Christ! I didn’t picture someone like you being into the occult of all things!'

Gundham snickered as one of his birds rested on his lap, ‘You are so naïve Hajime, the Dark Queen’s knowledge of the black arts surpasses even mine!’

‘Not that I have anything against your tastes princess, it was just a little unexpected that’s all!’

‘Aw relax guys!’ Nagito said, ‘I am sure we will find out eventually right?’

‘It’s not like we have much of an option’, I yawned.

‘The only way to discover our past is to look for clues and piece together the evidence’, Chiaki pondered, ‘It’s the typical method of play in point and click games, but I think it could be applied to our situation too’.

‘Oh my God! It will be just like Scooby Doo!’ Ibuki squealed, ‘Then once we have found all the clues, we can rip off Monokuma’s mask in a dramatic fashion and uncover the Mastermind’s Identity’.

‘I dunno, I have a feeling something much more complex is going on here. And even if that was the case, I wouldn’t want to take a chance with those bear gnashers’, I replied.

‘Yeah Todd is cleverer than that’, agreed Chiaki.

‘I mean, the mastermind could be literally anywhere on this island!'

‘Perhaps they are like Sauron, watching over us all in a giant tower somewhere’, Ibuki chimed in.

‘That doesn’t sound like a far stretch. Whatever the case we should try to refrain from killing each other until we gather more evidence surrounding our predicament. Not as though we will, I cannot come up with a reason why we would resort to such measures, even with the smoking death mountain outside…’

‘So it begins…’ Gundham uttered, ‘The quest to find Todd’.

After watching Chiaki speed run through various horror games, we trudged up to our respective rooms, except for Gundham who for some reason was insisting that Sonia and he shared her room rather than his.

‘I knew it! He does sleep in a coffin!’ Nagito said once Gundham and Sonia had left the scene, ‘Why else would he not want her entering his room?’ Deep down, I hoped that really was the answer, absurd as it was.

‘Or he could be hiding a dead body in there!’ joked Ibuki.

I had a rather peaceful sleep that night, although by the time I woke up my mind was swimming again. Did we really loose two years’ worth of memories, or was the bear just bluffing?

‘Hey Hajime!’ Nagito waved, ‘Did you lie in?’

‘I think so’, I yawned as I poured myself some coffee, 'We did stay up a little late'.

'I would love to hang out with you a little longer, but I have some last minute touch ups to take care of', he winked, 'It's always important to have everything planned out perfectly!' 

'Indeed it is', I said as I took a swig and Nagito walked quite giddily towards the building. As I got up to leave I noticed that volcano outside thankfully displayed no signs of changing.

‘Hello darling’ Sonia walked up to me, ‘Have you considered what you are going to wear?’

‘Not particularly, I’ve never seen it as all that important’.

‘Come on darling!' she put her hands on her hips, 'You can’t go in looking like a haystack! You have to give a good first impression you know? Do you not want to take pride in your appearance?’

‘I see what you mean, but what’s the point if you are going to be shitfaced by the end of it?’

‘Oh Hajime, we will have none of that here! Part of being a princess is introducing our different ways of life to one another, that way we will also get to know each other better!’

‘That’s easy for you to say since you’re obscenely wealthy…’

‘Come on upstairs Hajime, I have the perfect outfit for you!’ she took my hand and led me upstairs to her room which was styled in the manner of a Russian Tsar’s palace.

‘Hey Hajime, Sonia dragged you up here too it seems’, I heard someone utter from the corner of the room. Looking over I almost didn’t notice Akane as she stood there in a pricey looking evening dress, her hair tied up in a neat bun.

‘Wow Akane, you look stunning!’ I gasped, ‘Did you do this Sonia?’

‘Yes darling, I thought a makeover session would lighten up the mood a little!’ Sonia indicated a large intricate mirror before looking me up and down, ‘I have always disliked the stigma against men who wish to take care of their appearance, they deserve to look just as fabulous!’

‘I get your point, I mean Gundham looks nice. But me? I’m just not much of a looker you know?’

‘Nonsense!’ Sonia began to rummage through her wardrobe and pulled out a tux, ‘At least try this on. I want you to feel uplifted, even if it is just for one night’.

‘You have no idea…’ I heard Akane mumble under her breath.

Completely oblivious to her words, Sonia handed me the tux, ‘Come on darling, just this once!’

‘Fine, fine…’ I uttered as I pulled it on.

‘Wow Hajime, you actually look quite dapper’, Akane commented.

‘Seriously?’ I looked in the mirror myself, ‘Damn… I actually look alright. May I borrow this?’

‘Sure thing darling!’ she winked. As we walked out, I carefully carried the tux under my arm.

‘What did I do to deserve this though? why me of all people?’ I questioned.

‘Gundham just thought it would be nice if we got to know each other better’, she explained, ‘It seems to be working out so far does it not?’

‘Yeah’, I grinned, ‘I didn’t know he was in on this, but it was very thoughtful of him nonetheless. Why did you drag Akane up here though?’

‘I just thought she looked a little lonely, so I took her up here for a surprise makeover session! She has never had one in her life if you can believe it, so I thought it would be generous of me to introduce her. Generosity is also a good trait in rulers, it lowers the chance of unrest in the kingdom’.

‘That’s very nice of you Princess’, I nodded, ‘See you at the party!’’

‘I’m sure you will look utterly splendid’, Sonia bowed before waving me off.

I spent most of the day pottering around on the island. When I later took an evening walk on the beach, I noticed that Akane had apparently taken my advice, as Nekomaru was putting her through her paces. The latter was clearly the stronger of the two, but Akane was nimble and did not surrender, even when she was panting immensely and Nekomaru insisted that she take a break from the intense training sessions. 

I made my way to the ranch. I saw Kazuichi taking interest in some of the shop supplies and Tora walking past holding Peko’s hand, bragging about the time when she challenged a notorious biker gang to a race and won. 

I finally reached the farm. The meadows were turning gold in the light of the sunset and I could see a silhouette of a man upon a beautiful black mare, four black crows hovering above him. I waved in the horseman’s direction. Gundham, presumably as a sign of acknowledgement prompted his steed to rear, before I watched him speed off into the meadows, his birds in close pursuit. 

When the night finally came, I got changed, briefly admired my reflection in the mirror and slowly made my way to the rickety building. Outside the entrance, the students who had arrived before me were standing in a line.

‘Oi Hajime! Over here!’ I saw Nagito waving in my direction, he was wearing an emerald green tux which I noticed was covered with many four leaved clovers.

‘Hey Nagito! What’s taking so long?’

He pointed, ‘I swear to God that it’s worse than America’s airport security system…’ looking closer, I saw that Byakuya was in charge of security, making each guest go through a long security check.

‘Hey champ!’ Tora greeted me as she and Peko joined us from behind.

‘I hate having to leave my sword, it feels like I’m leaving a part of my soul behind…’ Peko sighed.

‘It’s alright Peko, you will have me, and besides, what makes you think we will need a weapon here?’ Tora laughed before placing a hand on her shoulder.

‘I understand where you are coming from, it just feels so strange…’ Peko looked behind her, ‘Oh, good evening princess!’ she bowed, ‘Isn’t Gundham supposed to be with you?’

‘Oh, he’s just tending to his birds again, he shouldn’t take too long!’ Sonia laughed with a hint of apprehension, ‘Wow Hajime, you really do look amazing!’

‘Thanks Sonia, you don’t look so bad yourself!’ she was wearing an elaborate military uniform which was clearly not designed for combat situations.

‘Next!’ I heard Byakuya call out, and Nagito stepped forward.

‘Why is security so tight tonight?’, he asked as Byakuya patted him down, ‘I mean, as far as I know, none of us have any motives to commit such a horrible act?’

‘You’d be surprised’, Byakuya ran a metal rod up and down Nagito’s body, ‘Assassins are masters of disguise and they can pop up at the most unexpected of times. That is why security is everything’, at that moment he gave a nod of approval and Nagito stepped into the building, ‘Next!’

I stood there rather awkwardly as Byakuya investigated me in turn, ‘I know he’s a little overenthusiastic, but I think Nagito is right. I can’t think of any reason why we would need to worry, especially considering that Fuyuhiko isn’t attending’.

‘No exceptions Hajime’, he said bluntly as I felt his large hands upon me, ‘My family has poison testers for each and every gathering that takes place in the Togami estate. You won’t believe how easy it is for an enemy to slip something into your drink. That’s why I had Kazuichi test the dishes tonight, I don’t want to take any risks’, he looked me up and down, ‘You can step inside now’, at his feet I spotted a large metal box, presumably where he kept confiscated objects.

Once we were settled in, we heard a loud whistle coming from the stage, 

‘Are you ready to party?!’ Ibuki took out her electric guitar, and after tuning it began to play.

‘Come on! Where is the grub already?’ Akane’s eyed darted towards the long tables filled with many delicious looking platters. Before long she was chewing a large hunk of meat on the bone.

Tora and Peko were the first on the dancefloor and were soon immersed in a rather intense salsa dance. As Akane watched them enviously, she chewed more rapidly.

‘Aren’t you going to dance Hiyoko?’ Mahiru asked, ‘Given your talent and everything?’

‘Nah I think I’m just going to get a bite to eat’, she was eyeing a stack of colourful macaroons, 'I overheat remember?'

‘Chiaki are you sure I should do this?’ Mikan trembled as Chiaki held out a hand, ‘What if I make a complete fool of myself?’, she nervously glanced in Hiyoko’s direction.

‘Come on Mikan, if you mess up, you mess up. It’s basic trial and error. After you lose a life, all you can do is get back on your feet and try again’, Chiaki told her.

‘But what if people make fun of me?’

‘It doesn’t matter what other people think. In my experience as a female gamer, every single minute mistake was considered a strike against me by sexist jerks, no matter how stellar my performance was overall. It gets to a point where you figure out that you will never be able to meet their crazy standards, and ultimately you should just enjoy the game’.

‘I see what you are getting at, but at least you are not trapped on an island with your tormenters…’

‘Come on, we will take it slowly’, Chiaki held out Mikan’s hand and she took it.

About five minutes after arriving I finally spotted Gundham who I noticed was in an intense argument with Byakuya, I walked over to see the commotion.

‘Gundham, I’m sorry but I’m going to have to take this’, Byakuya had taken issue with a small but sharp silver knife, ‘I don’t want to take any chances’.

‘You don’t understand, that knife is crucial in my craft’, Gundham protested, ‘I need it to cut the meat for my Four Dark Devas. It is one of the most essential tools of my work’.

‘I insist. This is a civil occasion and I see no need for such a thing here. It’s common decency. Now hand it over! Unless you want to spend the night outside of course’, Byakuya put his foot down, ‘You are lucky I allowed your little omens of death inside!’

‘You win this time mortal’, he growled as he surrendered the knife and Byakuya tossed it in the box.

‘Hey Gundham, you alright?’ I asked.

‘It’s fine’, he looked in the direction of the metal box while his birds sat on his shoulders, ‘I just like having my supplies with me. If I don’t, I always get worried that I will lose them’.

‘Believe me, I know the feeling’, I reassured him, ‘I mean Peko was upset when she had to leave her sword behind. Don’t worry though, I’m sure Byakuya will keep it perfectly safe’.

‘Gundham, I see you have finally arrived!’ Sonia held out a hand. Together the two of them stepped onto the dance floor and began to waltz.

‘Well, what are you waiting for Hajime?’ Nagito similarly gestured to me, and we danced a simple jive. 

Soon most of us were dancing various styles and to various tunes. With the great sparkling chandelier hovering above us and fairy lights draping the walls, it was as though the starry sky had been brought indoors. Even though it contrasted with his bold personality, Kazuichi was gifted at bringing a tranquil atmosphere into the room, so much so that we forgot about the demonic bear, the smoking volcano, the game…

‘Hey Chiaki, what kind of dance is that?’ Sonia asked with intrigue as Gundham twirled her.

‘Chiaki, are you teaching Mikan Fortnite dances?’ I frowned.

‘You can trust me, I’m a master!’ Chiaki winked in Mikan’s direction as she went through her paces.

‘You will have to teach me this 'Fortnite Dance', when you get the chance’, Sonia beamed, ‘The Kingdom of Novoselic is always happy to welcome talent from other cultures!’

‘Must drink… must drink…’ I murmured, but Nagito did not hear me over the music. 

We danced a while longer before Nagito wanted a drink too, and we sat down at the bar. Nekomaru and Akane were laughing along, both clearly quite tipsy. Kazuichi sat to the side of them, as did Chiaki and Mikan, who had crashed there too. As Nagito and I took our seats I noticed that Chiaki had many empty shot glasses in front of her. Despite this however she was talking like it was nothing.

‘Shit Chiaki!’ my mouth fell open, ‘Your alcohol tolerance level must be out of this world’.

‘I know right’, Mikan giggled, also looking stunned, ‘I can’t even handle one shot without falling all over the place!’

‘Don’t you fall all over the place even when you are sober Mikan?’ I grabbed a bottle of vodka from behind the bar and started to pour myself a glass, ‘And I’m sure Chiaki doesn’t have that level of tolerance. Someone of your stature would surely pass out!’

‘No, it was her alright. We saw for ourselves’, Nekomaru insisted, ‘She is big dick energy incarnate!’

‘Yeah she downed them all like it was nothing’, Kazuichi nodded.

‘I don’t believe you’, I said as I took my first sip, ‘That’s impossible’.

‘So, Hajime, what’s your tolerance level then?’ frowned Akane.

‘Higher than Chiaki’s that’s for sure’, I snickered as I took my first shot.

‘If you think you are so strong why don’t you challenge me to a drinking contest?’ Chiaki slammed another full shot glass on the table, ‘Well what are you waiting for?’

‘Chiaki, Hajime, I’m not sure if this is a good idea. You could get terrible liver damage…’ Mikan cautioned us, but the two of us ignored her as we glared at each other.

‘Alright then!’ I slammed my glass down, ‘Game on!’

‘Chug! Chug! Chug!’ Akane, Nekomaru and Kazuichi chanted as we began drinking. 

It took a while for the alcohol to take its toll but when it did, I really felt the pain. Despite my agony however, Chiaki did not waver as she drank shot after shot. I desperately tried to keep up but as my head span around and my body went numb, I began to feel hopeless as Chiaki’s empty glasses piled up against my comparatively measly amount.

‘Okay Chiaki’, I spoke in a slurred tone, ‘I think you have this one in the bag!’ I hiccuped loudly.

‘This isn’t big dick energy Chiaki, this was colossal dick energy!’ Nekomaru patted her on the back.

‘Better luck next time Hajime’, Nagito also gave me a pat on the back, causing me to hiccup again.

‘Wow Hajime you look so shitfaced right now!’ Kazuichi laughed uncontrollably. 

‘Ugh...’, I slumped over the bar, just as Sonia walked up to me.

‘Hello darling! Gundham is ready to meet you’, she told me before she gestured towards Akane to dance with her. Apparently during their makeover session Sonia had taken the opportunity to ask Akane out as her second date.

‘Are you ready?’, I looked behind me to see Gundham’s hand on my shoulder.

‘Sure, why not?’ I blinked up at him before swaggering onto the dancefloor, ‘Gundham’, I smiled up at him as I kept tripping over his feet, ‘You have beautiful eyes’.

‘You too Hajime’, he looked at me in a rather perplexed manner as he only just managed to keep me upright, ‘You look like you have been straight to Hell and back!’

‘Nah, I just drunk a bit too much of that good ol’ happy juice that’s all!’ I hiccuped so loud that it almost made me lose balance, despite Gundham’s grip on me. 

‘I cannot handle such elixirs’, he spoke, ‘such things cause me to lose control’.

Around me, the room was becoming a swirl of colours, ‘Did I mention that you smell nice too? What kind of cologne do you use?’

‘Are you okay Hajime?’ 

‘Don’t worry I’m fine!’ I lied, ‘This really is the best party ever!’

‘Hey, what the Hell is up with Hajime?’ Tora laughed as she and Peko slow danced.

‘Yeah, this kicks ass!’ I whooped for joy as Ibuki strummed the final notes of her song. Gundham allowed me to kiss his hand. I then marched up to the front of the music stand and yelled, ‘May I have your attention everyone?!’

‘What the Hell?!’ Akane rubbed her eyes, dumbfounded as she and Sonia paused their Tango dance, ‘Hajime, you are drunk as a skunk right now!’

Mahiru took out her camera, ‘I have to get a shot of this!’

‘There’s always one…’ Peko shook her head.

Suddenly and without thinking, I stepped onto the music stand and grabbed the microphone. Everyone began to stare and Gundham looked away in embarrassment, ‘You know what I’m gonna do? I’m going to go up to that damn bear and give him a piece of my fucking mind, let me tell ya!’

‘Yeah fuck Monokuma!’ Nekomaru roared.

‘Thanks to all of you here this evening, Yogi Bear won’t be getting his picnics if you know what I’m sayin’’, I hiccuped again, ‘Yeah, hope conquers all and that kinda shit!’

‘Hajime, I seriously think you should lie down…’ I heard Mikan murmur.

‘He’s so pissed oh my God…’ Kazuichi commented while trying to suppress further laughter.

‘I dunno, I’ve seen worse from Prince Harry…’ frowned Sonia.

‘What’s going on here?’ Byakuya marched up, ‘Hajime?’

’Come on then, bring it on you furry wanker!’ I shook my fists in the air.

‘Get down from there at once!’

‘I’m only giving the class some morale boosting, just like we all said’, I yelled, ‘Right guys?’

‘Yeah!’ cheered Akane.

‘Hajime, if you don’t get down from there, I swear to God…’ Byakuya raised a finger.

Suddenly I began to feel nauseous and I doubled over, ‘I don’t feel so good… I really, really don’t feel so good…’ I slumped on all fours and in front of everyone, I vomited.

‘Jesus Christ!’ Ibuki cried out.

‘Somebody needs to get him off the stage!’ Byakuya called out.

‘I’ll do it’, Gundham sighed, he walked onto the stage and with surprising strength, he lifted me over his shoulders.

‘Is he okay?’ Sonia cried, ‘We need to find him somewhere to rest!’

‘Don’t worry my Dark Queen, I will find somewhere for this foolish one to slumber…’

‘Gundham’, I spluttered, ‘I knew I made the best choice picking you to be my date tonight!’

‘I think it would be better for all of us if you remain quiet’, he spoke in a disgruntled manner.

He carried me to one of the spare rooms nearby and carefully laid me down on one of the moth-eaten sofas. The last thing I saw before blacking out was Gundham draping his coat on top of me for extra warmth. 

During the hour in which I was passed out, I had a strange dream. I was walking along a dark university corridor at night, although it felt more like gliding. Inside, for reasons I did not quite understand, I felt an intense rage boiling up inside of me. I had only one goal in mind, although I couldn’t quite remember what it was as my weightless body hovered past many empty classrooms. 

I paused to sniff the air. Just as I did so however I heard a loud bang, like a bomb going off, shortly followed by the familiar sound of hellish trumpets.

‘Hajime, wake up!’ I slowly blinked upwards to see Nagito shaking me awake. 

‘Where am I? What happened?’ I clutched my head in pain as it began to ache, ‘Is this real life?’ At that moment I felt someone splash water over my head, ‘Hey what was that for?!’

‘Get up dummy!’ Chiaki slapped me across the face, empty water bottle in hand, ‘Something terrible has happened’.

‘Yeah’, Nagito explained as I wrapped Gundham’s coat around me and walked to the main room, ‘there was this blackout, a loud bang, and the next thing we know…’

The three of us stepped inside to see everyone gathered below a hole in the roof where the great chandelier once hung. Looking down my heart filled with dread as I saw the lifeless body of Byakuya Togami, his head and neck bleeding immensely from the chandelier’s impact.


	4. Part 1: Blood and Booze, Deadly Life

We all stood there in a state of complete shock, unsure of how to react as we stared helplessly at Byakuya’s still form. Looking closer I saw that his glasses were shattered, very much like the chandelier that felled him, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

‘Oh my God…’ Tora had her hands over her mouth, ‘I can’t believe someone actually did this…’

‘Yeah’, Ibuki brushed away a tear, ‘It sucks, he planned out this amazing party to help us all get along and now this has happened'.

'Such cruel irony…’ Gundham hung his head.

‘He wasn’t exactly in touch with the rest of us, but he was a good leader’, Mahiru sighed, ‘Seriously, what did he do to deserve this?’

‘Perhaps someone was after his immense wealth?’ commented Kazuichi.

‘Whatever the case, whoever did it must have been desperate to get off this island’, said Nagito.

It was at that moment when the bear appeared, his back brushing the ceiling.

‘Well, well, well!’ Monokuma grinned, ‘What do we have here? It seems somebody has decided to commit the dirty deed after all’, he roared with laughter, causing dust to rain down on us.

‘Monokuma we know it was you’, Tora rounded on him, ‘It cannot be one of us, it just can't be’.

‘Yes, why would any of us do something so horrible?’ cried Sonia.

‘Alas’, the bear sat down, ‘One of you is indeed responsible for young Byakuya’s death, therefore we must conduct a class investigation’, he pointed towards a box which wasn’t there previously, ‘Please take the device with your name on it. Once you switch it on you will see that I have installed a very special app onto it!’ We all took our respective tablet and noticed that several apps were installed onto it, including one displaying a horrible chibi version of Monokuma. It was titled ‘The Monokuma File’, I opened it to see a picture of Byakuya and the details of his death.

‘Is this going to be like, a proper murder investigation?’ gasped Tora.

‘That’s quite correct my little cubs! I will give you some time to carry out an investigation before the class trial. You will need all the evidence you can gather. Every little detail counts, and it could mean the difference between your survival and kissing yourselves goodbye!’

‘Shit…’ I groaned, rubbing my aching head.

‘Anyway, I need to prepare for the first class trial! Laters haters!’ he laughed again, sprinkling us with more dust as the room quaked. He vanished once again, though the sound of his laughter still rung in our ears.

‘Damn… I’m not sure if I’m qualified for this, let alone in a state to carry out such a thing!’

‘Pull yourself together Hajime!’ Chiaki asserted, ‘You can do this! I know you can!’

At that moment I heard a roar of anger. I noticed Gundham pacing around anxiously, his crows flapping around him, letting out hoarse cries and sending black feathers everywhere.

‘Gundham what’s wrong?’ Sonia gasped.

‘It is truly terrible my Dark Queen’, he clenched his fists.

‘Indeed, it is terrible that death has descended upon this island so quickly’, Nagito bowed his head.

‘Not that you fool!’ Gundham bared his teeth, ‘The Hellhound Earring, it’s gone!’

Apparently oblivious to Gundham’s dismissal, Sonia stepped over to him, ‘Don’t worry, it probably just fell under the floorboards or something. There has to be a way down there, right?’

Still trying to comprehend the situation I asked, ‘So, first things first, how long was I passed out for?’

‘You were lying on the couch for a whole hour’, Chiaki told me.

‘Yeah, that stuff took a real toll on you Hajime!’ Nagito nodded.

‘Wow really? Shit… a lot could have happened in that time, huh?’

‘Well you know what we need to do then!’ Nagito clapped his hands together, ‘We need to go around asking everyone where they were and what they were doing in the hour!’

‘Oh okay! That doesn’t sound too hard I suppose. But shouldn’t we examine the body first?’ I turned around, ‘Hey Mikan, you an expert at this kind of stuff right?’ 

‘I guess so’, Mikan swallowed, ‘I mean… I have dealt with dead bodies before…’

‘You mean you got to cut them up and stuff?’ Ibuki gasped, to which Mikan nodded.

‘I don’t think we will need to cut any bodies open this time’, Kazuichi shook his head, ‘I mean, his cause of death is pretty obvious by now surely?’ 

‘Nevertheless, I think Mikan should at least have a closer look at the body, just so we don’t miss anything’, Peko said, looking closer I could see that she looked a little green in the face and was shivering a little.

‘Well what are we waiting for?’ Akane stood up, ‘Let’s get going!’

We watched as Mikan bent down to examine Byakuya’s body, poking and prodding before pushing his hair back to get a closer look at the bloody wounds.

‘Any idea about the cause of death Mikan?’ asked Tora.

‘It was most likely blunt force trauma. Some of his hair is singed too, signifying that he was caught in the explosion. I also discovered glass fragments on and surrounding the body, causing some small lacerations on the skin’.

‘So one thing is certain, the murder weapon here is the chandelier’, Nekomaru paced around the scene, ‘but if this really was deliberate, what dislodged it?’

‘Yeah’, Kazuichi frowned, ‘I had this thing screwed in pretty tightly. Sure, it did cause the roof to creak a little but apart from that, it was perfectly secure when I tested it earlier’.

‘Maybe if we examine it closer, we will be able to see what caused it to come crashing down’, Chiaki knelt down beside the felled chandelier and ran a finger down the metal chain.

‘See anything Chiaki?’ Mahiru tilted her head.

‘I think I’ve got it, come and have a closer look’, she beckoned the others to step in closer.

‘What is it Chiaki? I don’t see anything’, I squinted my eyes.

‘Look closer’, she pointed and soon enough I caught sight of a large nail lodged in at the end of the chain. A small fragment of the wooden ceiling was also attached.

‘That’s strange’, said Kazuichi, ‘I really don’t remember that the last time I checked!’

‘How do you think something like that got here though?’ Tora gasped.

‘I think somebody must fired the weapon from a distance, though I do not know where’, pondered Chiaki, ‘I think that is the key to catching Byakuya’s killer’.

‘So, they used a nail gun then?’ 

‘It appears so’, Chiaki picked up something else, a wad of transparent tape, ‘Hmm, what’s this doing here? I think it may have been pulled down in the wreckage’, she looked up at the hole as the rather ominous sound of the wind outside entered the old room.

‘What do we do now then?’ Akane asked.

Chiaki stood up, ‘In order to see who has an alibi, we will need to find out where everyone was at the time of the incident. I doubt we will be able to pinpoint the killer at this time but getting an idea of how the crime panned out should hopefully lead us in the right direction’.

‘Okay then’, I nodded, ‘So first of all, who was in the room at the time of the incident?’ Everyone except Peko and Nekomaru raised a hand, ‘Ah, I see. Well that complicates things a bit doesn’t it?’

‘So, that would explain the reason why the bathroom door was locked this whole time’, Nekomaru looked in Peko’s direction, who turned her head away in embarrassment.

‘What happened exactly?’

‘I don’t want to talk about it…’ Peko uttered.

‘Why not? It’s nothing to be ashamed of! There is nothing quite like a good shit!’ Nekomaru shrugged, ‘It’s no wonder so many doctors recommend it!’

‘Please shut up…’

‘Seriously Nekomaru, cut it out already!’ snapped Tora, standing in front of her, ‘Just because you are comfortable with your bathroom business, it doesn’t mean that others are!’

‘Guys, guys, guys!’ Nagito stood in the middle of the room, ‘Let’s not get carried away here! The point is, you two were in close proximity, therefore making it unlikely you are the culprits here’.

‘What about Hajime?’ Hiyoko brought up, ‘He wasn’t here either!’

‘You fool’, Gundham spoke before he snatched his coat back from me, still clearly peeved, ‘He very reminded me of a prized Persian tom in my care who was out like a light after overdosing on some catnip he found, except Hajime’s case was more embarrassing than amusing…’

I hung my head in shame as Kazuichi asked, ‘How can you be so sure?’

‘Believe me, I checked on him numerous times…’

'Also’, Peko pointed out, ‘The bathroom is down a separate hallway and is opposite to the room where Gundham put Hajime to rest’.

‘Yeah Hajime was there alright!’ Nekomaru nodded, ‘Sleeping like a baby he was!’

‘So, did any of you detect any suspicious activity during the event?’ I questioned.

Ibuki raised a hand, ‘During the blackout I could have sworn I saw a ghost in the corridor’.

‘Really?’

‘Yeah totally, I only caught a glimpse of it, but it was glowing and everything!’

‘Are you sure you weren’t drunk Ibuki?’ frowned Hiyoko.

‘Oh no!’ she laughed, ‘I drunk nothing but water the whole night, constantly headbanging and moving your arms can get you dehydrated real fast if you don’t have a full bottle of H2O with you!’

‘I think I spotted something too’, Peko explained, ‘I was coming out of the loo when it appeared. I swear I saw something dash past when I was facing the corridor ahead. I tried chasing after it, but it was so dark that I could barely tell where I even was or move without bumping into a wall’.

‘Speaking of which, I also caught something outside this room with my camera’, Mahiru showed me. 'And low and behold in the flash of my camera, was a glowing, white, human sized blur!'

‘Have you got more… you know… detailed pictures?’ Nagito spoke in a disapointed tone.

‘I’m afraid not’, Mahiru sighed, ‘Like Nessie, Bigfoot and Mothman before it, I fear this a shy and elusive being. Such cryptids tend to be cunning when faced with humans, even when they are faced with something so revolutionary as photography’.

‘Do you think that was what caused the power cut?’ Tora frowned, ‘Is this place haunted?’

‘Maybe our loud party awoke the ghost from its slumber, and it killed Byakuya as punishment for disturbing it’, Hiyoko smirked, ‘You’re next Mikan!’

‘Stop it Hiyoko!’ Mikan cried.

‘Or maybe you were just seeing things’, shrugged Nagito, ‘after my dog was put to sleep, I used to hallucinate her presence in my room for a long time afterwards’.

‘Hey, look what I found!’ we walked over to see that Ibuki had pulled something from the wreckage, ‘Wow, are those night vision goggles?’

‘They are!’ I gasped, ‘Do you think Byakuya was using them during the blackout? I wonder where he kept them though, I didn’t see any previously’.

‘Here’, I saw Gundham rummaging in the metal box where he pulled out his silver knife.

‘Gundham, are you sure you should be taking that?’, Nagito frowned.

‘The deed is done, isn’t it?’ he growled as he concealed the knife in his coat pocket, ‘So where is the harm in it now exactly?’

‘I just don’t want you destroying the evidence that’s all’, he laughed nervously, ‘Just don’t go shanking anyone okay?’

‘Anyway’, Gundham cleared his throat before pulling out a rather expensive looking leather case, 'I found this too'.

‘So that’s where he kept them?’ I scratched my head, ‘Still, I wonder why he brought along such things?’

‘I don’t know about you but I’m putting my money on Fuyuhiko being the killer’, Akane spoke, ‘It would explain why he wanted to miss out on the whole thing. He’s a Yakuza member so it’s not farfetched to imagine that he would have had ways to get past Byakuya’s security’.

‘Also, he was very desperate to get off this island’, nodded Tora, ‘His family is very wealthy and influential too so he might have targeted Byakuya from the very beginning!’

‘Hey! Just because he’s from the most feared Yakuza group in Japan, that doesn’t make him the culprit’, Nagito pointed out, ‘Shouldn’t we at least get his side of the story?’

‘I agree’, Chiaki nodded, ‘I actually spoke to him briefly’.

‘Wow really? So, he didn’t threaten to make you ‘disappear’ then?’

‘Nope. On the contrary our conversation was quite civil!’

‘If only he acted that way with the rest of us’, I sighed, ‘Anyway let’s not stick around. Even if Fuyuhiko does have a stick up his ass, he might have spotted things that we overlooked’.

‘So, what did you talk to him about Chiaki?’ Nagito asked curiously.

‘Nothing much, just gaming really’, she shrugged.

‘What was the point in even asking', I rolled my eyes, 'So, what’s his favourite genre then?’ 

‘Slice of life stuff apparently, like Animal Crossing’.

‘Shit, really? I wonder why such games would appeal to someone in his profession. I thought he’d be more into the really violent stuff like GTA, or the Yakuza games for that matter…’

We went down the corridor and into the kitchen, where Kazuichi stood behind the food which didn't yet make it to the main party room. Standing out was a large hunk of meat, even bigger than the one that Akane chowed down on earlier.

'Wow, did someone need to hunt a mammoth to get that?' I gazed at it in awe.

‘Kazuichi, you were tasked with testing the food for poison, right?’ Chiaki asked.

‘Yeah. I took the position precisely so tragedies like this can be avoided’, he sighed, ‘I can’t cook so I was also put in charge of arranging the dishes’.

‘I see, so you spent most of your time in the kitchen?’

‘Yeah. Not long after you passed out, I decided to help Byakuya out by overseeing the food, and adding my own little touches. I may not be able to cook but I know how to turn food into art!'

‘I see... So were you present when Byakuya was killed?’

‘Yeah, I was in the kitchen when the power went out, but I managed to feel my way in the dark towards the party room, and... that’s when shit happened’.

‘That’s true, I mean... I did hear your voice alongside the others shortly before the incident’, Chiaki said.

‘I heard you clear as day too’, Nagito nodded, ‘Everyone was totally freaking out!’

‘I know right?! Everything was totally fucked…’ Kazuichi agreed.

‘Yeah I bet!' I raised an eyebrow, 'Anyway, thanks for your testimony Kazuichi!’

‘No problemo!’, he waved us off as we left to explore the building further.

‘Hey, check this out’, Nagito led me towards a storage room, ‘I think there are some things which could point us in the right direction here’, he indicated a crumpled white tablecloth in a basket.

‘What has that got to do with anything?’

‘I dunno really, it just seems out of place. I mean, Byakuya was very particular about everything being laid out as neatly as possible. He would have said a few words if he saw this lying around that’s for sure. I don’t see any food or drink stains either, so I doubt it was used at the party’, he tried to turn it around before he suddenly recoiled his hand, ‘Ouch!’

‘Nagito are you alright?’ I saw Chiaki run up to him while I looked down at the sheet. Upon it, I noticed some tiny, shimmering glass fragments embedded in the material, some of them flecked with blood.

‘Yeah I’m fine’, he said as he sucked his finger, ‘How did it end up like this though?’

‘Holy shit!’ I stared down at it too, ‘It’s very weird, I mean the glass looks like it came from the chandelier, and the blood can only be Byakuya’s surely?‘

‘I suppose all we can do is investigate further, then the answers we are looking for may appear before you know it. Hey, what’s this?’ Chiaki picked up a flashlight, ‘It’s still warm!’

‘Did you see anyone with a flashlight when the murder took place?’ I asked her.

‘Not that I remember, I couldn’t see a thing! I swear, it was darker than your DS screen when you are playing in the middle of summer!’ she looked up at a voltage box, ‘Hang on a second…’ 

‘What’s wrong?’

‘Look closely’, she pointed, ‘I think the wires have been damaged’.

‘Yeah’, Nagito said, ‘Seems they were repaired hastily too’.

‘Your suspicions have been confirmed’, I picked up some scissors which I saw glinting on the floor, looking closer I could see that the blades were slightly singed, ‘Somebody must have cut the wires, causing the blackout so they could distract everyone’.

‘That seems very possible’, Nagito picked up the white sheet, ‘I wonder if the ‘ghost’ was the one responsible here, or our killer for that matter?’

‘Possibly’, I shrugged, ‘But why would someone need all this attire?’

'Come on', Chiaki put a hand on my shoulder, 'We need to talk to Fuyuhiko, he might have some useful information'.

She beckoned me outside. Walking towards the lodge entrance, I could make out the distinctive smell of cigarette smoke.

‘Hey Fuyuhiko’, I waved in his direction and he gave me an annoyed look in return, ‘We aren’t accusing you or anything, we only wish to ask a few questions’.

Spitting out his cigarette and lighting a new one he spoke, ‘I know you probably think I am responsible for Byakuya’s death, but I’m not’.

‘How can we be so sure?’

‘You really are a dumbass aren’t you Hajime?’ Fuyuhiko snickered, ‘The reason is simply because I have no reason to carry out such a thing’.

‘What are you even talking about?’

‘To put it simply, Byakuya and I have our connections. The Kuzuryuus and the Togamis are very prominent in Japanese society, so we were bound to run into each other’.

‘Was he like, a client of yours or something?’

‘I suppose you could put it that way. The Togami family operates differently to most families you see. The family patriarch mates with various women across the country, leaving the kids to grow up and compete with one another to get to the top, by any means necessary’. To my surprise he took out a pistol from under his jacket.

‘Jesus Christ! Where did you find that?’

‘It’s empty... most unfortunately’, Fuyuhiko muttered, ‘Byakuya paid big money to bump off his siblings, and he got what he paid for’, he laughed as he twirled the pistol in his hands, ‘if you want the deed to be carried out in the quickest and cleanest way possible, then you have to pay the big bucks!’

‘So that’s why you have no motive to kill Byakuya then?’

‘Yeah, no shit, especially as I carried out some of the assassinations myself. I’m a professional!’ he glared at me, 'If you get off this island, which you most likely won’t let’s face it, you would do well not to speak of this. I have associates you see, some of them residing in the walls of Hope’s Peak itself. So, keep your tongue behind your teeth, yeah?’

‘Of course not Fuyuhiko! I only need your testimony for the trial, that’s all!’

‘I see’, he spoke in a more chilling tone, ‘Now run along, Hajime Hinata, I'm busy’.

‘I wish he was as civil with me as he was with you Chiaki’, I uttered as we made our way back to the building. Looking at the foot of it I saw Gundham lying on his stomach and peering at the wall opposite him, resembling a crouching cat. His birds were flying in and out of a small hole in the woodwork, cawing loudly.

‘Hey Gundham, what have you found?’ asked Nagito who was waiting for us back on the steps. 

‘My Four Dark Devas of Destruction suspect that the Hell Hound Earring is nearby’, he answered.

‘I see…’ Nagito rolled his eyes.

‘Wait, look!’ Chiaki pointed at the hole.

‘What is it?’ I bent down, hearing flapping as the birds flew in and out of the building, ‘I can’t see anything weird here’.

‘Look closely’, she told me, ‘the hole is below the main floor’.

‘What does that mean?’ 

‘If Gundham’s crows can fly around under there with relative ease, then it’s not far fetched to believe that a person could fit down there’.

‘I get your point, but how can you shoot someone from under the floor… unless…’ I stood up, ‘Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Hey Gundham!’

‘What is it?’ he turned to face me.

‘How about I make up for my actions tonight by helping you find the Hellhound Earring?’

‘You will?’ Gundham tilted his head.

‘Yeah totally!’ I nodded, ‘I think I know where to find it, and I reckon your crows do too!’

‘Well, crows are known for being remarkably intelligent’, he smiled before saying, ‘Very well then Hajime, show me this underground cellar!’

‘I need to find an entrance first’, we stepped back into the building, ‘but where could it be?’

‘This door looks pretty convincing’, Nagito pointed towards a smaller door. I originally thought it was just a wooden wall panel as it was so blended in. He opened it and Chiaki shone the flashlight we found in the storage room to reveal a dark staircase.

‘Come on, let’s check it out’, I beckoned the others to follow before we carefully descended the wooden stairs. The four crows became increasingly louder when we stepped into the cellar and the four of us, except Chiaki were forced to crouch down to avoid hitting our heads on the floor above.

‘Wow, the gaps between the floorboards are really wide!’ Nagito observed.

‘Did you guys hear something?’ from the floor above I heard Tora’s voice.

‘Yes, I thought I heard something too’, even though she was one floor above us, I could hear Sonia’s voice as though it was clear as day.

‘It’s the ghost!’ I saw dust fall as what could only be Ibuki leaped in the air.

‘It is coming for your soul Mikan!’ Hiyoko’s distinctive evil giggle came through.

More dust sprinkled onto our heads as Mikan recoiled in fright.

‘Hey guys’, I knocked on the floorboards, causing the others to jump back at first.

‘It’s okay my Dark Queen’, Gundham spoke, ‘We have uncovered a dungeon down here!’

‘A dungeon? Oh my!’ we saw Sonia getting on all fours, peering down at us, ‘Are you thinking what I’m thinking Gundham?’ I saw her bright blue eyes under the flashlight, blinking at us.

‘I don’t think it’s that kind of dungeon Princess’, I said, ‘besides, you can hear pretty much everything down here. I’m serious, I could be standing right next to you and it wouldn’t make much difference!’

‘Look!’, Chiaki shone the flashlight on the ground where several glass fragments, some of them quite large sparkled, ‘these probably fell through the floorboards when Byakuya was struck’.

‘It’s all starting to make sense now huh?’ Nagito winked.

At that moment I heard a loud squawk. Squinting my eyes, I noticed that a small glint of gold emitted from the beak of one of the crows.

‘My Hellhound Earring!’ Gundham gently stroked the crow’s head with his finger before it handed the tiny earring to it's owner, ‘You have been amazing my Four Dark Devas! If I survive the trial, I shall make sure to reward you greatly’, the crow gave his finger a friendly nibble before joining it’s fellows and flying through the hole in the wall.

‘Chiaki you’re glowing!’ I heard Nagito gasp, causing me to hit my head on the floorboards above as I turned to face the others.

‘She’s a witch!’ Gundham yelled.

‘What’s going on?’ Chiaki spoke in a puzzled manner, ‘Oh yes!’ Looking closer I could see that the source of the glowing came from the tape in her hand.

‘That’s funny’, I frowned as we ascended the stairs, the stinging sensation now combined with the hangover pain, ‘Why would anyone need glow in the dark tape?’

‘I have a hunch, I just can’t put a finger on it quite yet…’ at that moment the sound of those terrible trumpets echoed throughout the island, ‘Damn it!’ Chiaki muttered before Monokuma spoke.

‘Have you finished investigating little cubs? Well too bad because first class trial is about to begin! I can’t wait! I can’t wait!’ his horrible laugh, now magnified ten times it's usual volume, caused our bones to rattle, ‘Anyway, please gather around Monokuma Rock. No worries, you will know when you see it!’

‘Oh shit! We had better get going then!’ I said, as I was forced to brave my double headache.

‘Considering you were recovering from a hangover Hajime. I think you have done quite well for yourself!’ Nagito gave me a pat on the back, ‘Now all you need to do is make sure that the whole student body doesn’t die a horrible death. Seems straight forward enough, huh?’

‘I guess…’ 

We all filed out of the building, forced to leave Byakuya’s body us behind as we walked down the boardwalk, and past the beach. The blood moon Gundham and Sonia described earlier had risen, its reflection making the sea appear red. 

It wasn’t long before we spotted the distinctive and haunting landmark, a cluster of jagged rocks towering into the sky. I thought at first we had stepped into Mordor, until we saw a stone path leading up to a gaping black hole. As we trudged up the path I saw that the cave entrance was carved to resemble the head of a bear, it’s teeth made up of stalagmites and stalactites. Flaming torches were inserted into the eye sockets to make it seem as though the bear was watching us as we descended into its maw. Soon we were met with the cold air of the cave.

‘I don’t like this’, Kazuichi shivered.

‘Yeah, it’s cold as balls here!’ Hiyoko’s teeth chattered as she huddled up next to Mahiru.

The moment we all stepped inside, flaming torches lit up along the walls, illuminating the the cave’s interior. Looking ahead we saw a dark spiral staircase, descending downwards.

‘Where does this strange passage lead?’ Sonia looked around anxiously.

‘We are entering the bowels of Hell!’ Gundham exclaimed. I wondered whether he was right.

‘Whatever the case, I have a bad feeling about this’, Nekomaru uttered.

‘You probably should, since one of us is gonna die... if we don’t end up as bear chow that is!’, Fuyuhiko grinned, ‘Either way, blood will be spilled again’.

‘Just because we know something, that doesn’t mean you should say it’, Peko shook her head.

‘How far does this go?’ Ibuki stared down, ‘Shall I try dropping a stone down there?’

‘No, let’s not do that’, I said as we continued to descend deeper,

‘Hey, what the Hell was that?’ Tora yelled as a brief, yet chilling breeze descended upon us.

‘Is it just me or are we in another dimension?’ Chiaki tilted her head.

‘It smells worse further down that’s for sure’, Mahiru commented.

‘I know right?’ Nagito exclaimed as the stairs ended, ‘This stench is straight outta Hell!’ We trekked down a dark corridor until we saw two torches ahead light up a pair of great, metal, blood-red double doors.

‘Monokuma is overdoing with the whole Hell aesthetic, isn’t he?’ I frowned as the doors opened on their own, ‘Well there’s nothing else to it, let’s go in and get this whole thing over with!’

‘Isn’t someone going to die though?’ Mikan asked as we stepped into the room.

‘Let’s not think about that right now. We need to get through this thing if we are to survive’, Chiaki put a hand on her arm.

‘Indeed, we should save our mourning for later’, Gundham nodded.

‘That’s easy for you to say Gundham, you look like you go to a funeral every day!’ Hiyoko giggled.

‘Wow look at this place!’ Nagito gazed at the room in awe, ‘This place has everything if you are an Evil Hell Demon!’ His description was accurate. The courtroom, which was decked out in red and gold looked spectacular yet intimidating at the same time. All around engravings and sculptures depicting demons and other hellish entities leered down at us.

‘Evil Hell Demon you say?’ we turned our heads in the direction of a wooden stand where the bear was standing proudly, ‘Well, in the Demon Realm, it’s good to stand out, you know? Even if you have been exiled to the deepest, darkest parts!’

‘So, we are in Hell then!’ Nekomaru exclaimed, 'Well shit!'

‘Honestly is anyone surprised at this point?’ I shrugged.

‘If that’s your preferred saying for it then, yes. The main thing is that you are all here!’ Monokuma clapped his paws, ‘Alrighty then! Let’s get this thing rolling already! Please settle down in your assigned seats and we can finally begin!’

'Please no!' we heard a pleading female voice. Looking up, we saw a birdcage dangling above us. Inside was Monomi, forced to watch helplessly as we were forced to condemn one of our friends to death, 'You cannot do this!'

'Shut up you stupid rodent!' Monokuma tugged a rope, causing the cage to suddenly plummet. Just as the rabbit was about to hit the ground, the bear roughly yanked the rope back up, causing Monomi to smack into the ceiling of the cage and slump onto the bottom, 'Well then, where was I? Oh yes! You had all better get comfortable because we are going to be here for a while!'

We sat in our respective seats when I couldn’t help but notice the daunting shrine in the place of where Byakuya was supposed to sit. In his stead was a photograph with a large red 'X' crudely painted over it.

‘Monokuma, what have you done?’

‘You got a problem with me inviting young Byakuya along? It would be utterly discourteous of me to exclude him; this is his trial after all!’

‘I see… couldn’t you commemorate him in a more tasteful way though?’

‘Anyway!’ the bear stood up, ignoring me, ‘We don’t have much time! We have to figure out who the killer is! On with the trial already!’

The fifteen of us stood up, in a circle so we were all facing one another. It was at that moment when the first class trial and the true horror of this field trip began.


	5. Class Trial 1

‘Okay little cubs, I hope you are feeling nice and comfy, for we have a mystery to solve! Oh boy we are going to have so much fun!’ the bear stood on his hind legs, looking over us.

‘Leave my kittens alone you brute!’ cried Monomi from her cage above.

‘So, I suppose we should just get straight to it then?’ Monokuma got back on all fours, ignoring the rabbit’s pleas, ‘Alright! Let’s start by discussing the murder weapon, shall we?’

‘He was killed by a chandelier that fell on top of him’, Chiaki explained, ‘I could tell it was a deliberate act however when I found a large nail lodged in the chain. Although we were unable to locate the device responsible, we are more than certain that a nail gun was used to bring down the chandelier’.

‘Interesting…’ the bear nodded, ‘Why weren't you unable to see the perpetrator though?’

‘That’s easy really’, said Nagito, ‘None of us saw the murder take place because someone had tampered with the power box in the storage room, causing a blackout’.

‘Yeah’, Tora nodded, ‘we did hear it though. There was a loud bang and after that, we could only stand there in horror. When the lights came back on, Byakuya was lying underneath the wreckage, dead. The killer used a projectile weapon to dislodge the chandelier and take out anyone in its path’.

‘It hit him right on the noggin!’ exclaimed Hiyoko, rather tastelessly imitating such an event.

‘I see, I see’, Monokuma grinned, ‘Do you have any idea what angle the killer fired at?’

‘I know this is going to sound insane’, I cleared my throat, ‘but I reckon the murderer fired the nail gun through the floorboards, it’s the most logical explanation I can come up with’.

‘No offence Hajime, but weren’t you drunk an hour before the investigation?’ Kazuichi frowned, ‘How do we know your information is reliable?’

‘Yeah, your explanation does sound pretty far-fetched I must admit…’ agreed Nekomaru.

‘Objection!’, we all turned to face Chiaki, ‘Sorry... I’m such a nerd, aren’t I? Anyway, where was I again? Oh yes! The floorboards, I went down into the cellar and the gaps between them were pretty damn big if I don’t say myself!’

‘I agree’, Gundham nodded, ‘Hajime went down there with me to help find the Hellhound Earring, with the assistance of my Four Dark Devas I managed to uncover it at last!’

‘Yeah floorboards are not usually so big that you can drop things down there, even earrings’, Sonia spoke up, ‘I was able to quite clearly see what was down there, that’s not usually possible unless you drill a hole in the floor or something’.

‘And we could hear you as clear as day!’ exclaimed Ibuki, ‘Isn’t that right girls?’ Hiyoko and Mikan nodded.

‘I seriously thought it was your ghost at first Ibuki’, Tora laughed, ‘But yes, Hajime and the others could have been in the same room and it wouldn’t have made much of a difference!’

‘Intriguing…’ Monokuma purred, ‘But did you see any tell-tale signs of a murderer in the cellar?’

‘I think so’, I pointed out, ‘We found a fair amount of glass fragments below the crime scene. And that’s not all, Nagito found a tablecloth with blood and glass fragments upon it’.

‘What does that mean?!’ gasped Akane.

‘It seems like our killer used the sheet to stop themselves being covered in glass… and blood’, Chiaki explained, ‘If the killer was attacking from below, it would make sense that the killer would want to avoid such damning evidence getting on their clothes and skin’.

‘I imagine that would hurt a lot too’, Mikan replied, ‘Removing glass shards from under the skin is a difficult and painful task for all involved’.

‘In the storage room we also discovered that the power box had been tampered with, the wires displayed signs of being cut and scissors were discovered nearby too. It was clear that it was repaired in a hurry. Still… it would take very specialised hands to get the power back on after so much damage’.

‘So…’ Ibuki pondered, ‘Do you think the killer is also the ghost?’

‘I can’t think of it being any other way’, Peko commented.

‘Mahiru nodded in agreement, ‘Why was the ghost glowing though? What was that all about?’

‘We did find a flashlight in the storage room’, Chiaki told her, ‘I mean the killer needed something to light the path. And I doubt even the most skilled of hands would be able to repair the wiring without needing at least some light’.

‘Well, you little cubs sure are getting the hang of this!’ Monokuma smirked, ‘Is that all the clues? You will need plenty of evidence at your disposal if you wish to unmask the blackened!’

‘No, there’s more! We found a pair of night vision goggles next to the body!’

‘That’s true’, I nodded, ‘I guess Byakuya used them for security related purposes. That’s probably how he ended up under the chandelier too. When the power was cut, he must have noticed some discourse among the party goers and rushed over to investigate’.

‘That makes some sense’, Tora frowned, ‘But how did the killer figure out where to fire the weapon? Even if they heard Byakuya moving around, how did they get a perfect shot at the chandelier? Seems oddly specific don't you think?’

‘Well that’s easy!’ Nagito spoke, ‘It was marked out for them! A piece of glow in the dark tape had been discovered in the wreckage too. The killer, or someone assisting them, must have planted it on the ceiling so they could get an accurate aim. They were forced to turn off the flashlight when they got to the basement stairs to avoid detection, so they had to rely on another method to hit the target’.

‘Yeah Chiaki was glowing when she was holding it’, Sonia nodded, ‘I saw it quite clearly once my eyesight adjusted. The glowing aura made me think she was a fairy at first!’

‘Considering her insane alcohol tolerance, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was’, I said.

‘I wish fairies did exist’, sighed Monomi from her cage, ‘Then they could turn Monokuma into a toad, or a friendlier bear at least, like Winnie the Pooh or Paddington’. The bear then used the string by his side to rattle the cage, causing the rabbit the ricochet off the bars.

‘As though I would lower myself to eating honey and marmalade for the rest of my days!’ the bear snarled, ‘Real bears like me eat meat, unlike those wimps… Also, I’m a diabetic…’

‘So… do any of you guys remember seeing the tape during the blackout?’ I asked.

‘Yeah most of us did’, Tora explained, ‘We didn’t really think much of it though. We were mostly bumbling around in confusion wondering what the Hell was going on!’

‘I just thought it was a strange decoration’, shrugged Ibuki, ‘It was in an ‘X’ pattern from what I remember!’

‘’X’ marks the spot!’ winked Nagito.

‘Anyhow…’ Chiaki cleared her throat, ‘We know the big picture concerning the crime, now we just need to figure out who the killer is’.

‘Isn’t it obvious who did it?’ Akane yelled, clenching her fists, ‘It was obvious from the start that Fuyuhiko was desperate to get off this island wasn’t it?’

‘We have a name already, do we?’ Monokuma chuckled, ‘This is getting interesting’.

‘Oh no, here we go again…’ Fuyuhiko rolled his eyes.

‘Don’t think that I’ve forgotten! I won’t rest until you and the rest of your miserable friends are behind bars, even if it means risking my own life!’ snapped Akane.

‘Is this about your brother again?’ a small smile curled across his lips.

‘What the Hell is even going on?!’ cried Kazuichi. 

‘What did you think it was about you Yakuza scum?’ Akane raised her fist in his direction.

‘My little kittens, please stop this fighting!’ begged Monomi.

‘He had it coming! He knew what happens to those who step out of line ever since he signed his allegiance to my family, yet he still made that decision and died a coward’s death’, Fuyuhiko bared his teeth.

‘He only joined because you took advantage of him when he was desperate and afraid, just like how you recruited most of your lackeys I assume!’ Akane snarled.

‘If you toss a bone to a starving dog, it will follow all of your whims until you feed it more. It’s classical Pavlovian conditioning’, Gundham spoke.

‘The Kuzuryuu clan has no place for cowards!’ Fuyuhiko banged his fist.

‘Fuyuhiko that’s enough!’ Peko spoke calmly but firmly, causing him to back off.

‘Yes guys’, I sighed, ‘Akane, I am very sorry to hear about your brother, but I’m afraid we must leave behind personal vendettas for the time being’.

‘You are right Hajime’, Akane took a deep breath before I noticed her eyes beginning to water, ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have let myself get carried away like that…’

‘Fuyuhiko also gave me his testimony and I think he gave a pretty convincing case as to why he is not the blackened in this case’, I gestured in his direction, ‘Fuyuhiko, if you please…’

‘With pleasure’, he bowed, a grin still etched on his face, ‘the truth is, I simply have no reason to kill Byakuya, in fact doing so would be very counterproductive!’

‘Wouldn’t someone like him usually be at the top of your hit list?’ asked Ibuki.

‘In most circumstances yes, but since he was willing to pay the big bucks, he has been a loyal client of mine and has helped to keep all that lovely money flowing into the Kuzuryuu clan!’

‘Byakuya had Yakuza associations?’ gasped Mahiru.

‘Oh yes! Such associations among fat cats like him are more common than you think!’

‘I always knew the rich could never be trusted’, Akane shook her head.

‘So, what were you doing all this time?’ asked Kazuichi, ‘Because I sure didn’t catch you at the party!’

‘Nothing much, just smoking a little weed’, Fuyuhiko snickered, ‘When I heard the body discovery announcement, I knew that you lot would become suspicious of me given my calling in life. I gave my testimony, but I knew that alone wasn’t gonna cut it. In order to properly clear my name of this horrendous crime, I actually ended up doing a little investigating myself!’

‘You did?’ my head perked up.

‘Yup, and through my search I found a vital clue. I picked the lock into Byakuya’s room and I found this’, he pulled a note out of his pocket, ‘Clearly someone among us wanted to rile everybody up!’

‘How do we know you didn’t forge that note?’ Akane glared at him.

‘Trust me, it’s not my handwriting! Even if I wanted to imitate this particular style I couldn’t!’, he shrugged, ‘I can prove it right here and now if you insist!’

‘I’m more interested in the content of the letter myself’, I told him.

‘Yeah, the message the writer left was pretty fucked up!’ he tossed the paper in my direction and I examined it closely, ‘It read like a threat more than anything!’ I held the paper out in front of me.

‘Hope like all good things comes with sacrifices, which is why tomorrow night, blood will be spilled on this island. The only way we can achieve hope is through death, and I will stop at nothing to achieve such aims, no matter the cost’.

‘That’s some fucking cult shit right there!’ I gasped, reading the words again and again.

‘Do you think this was written by the killer?’ cried Sonia.

‘Most likely’, Peko nodded, ‘Or someone wanting to cook up some trouble at least!’ 

‘How do we know it wasn’t Fuyuhiko though?’ Akane gritted her teeth.

‘What makes you think the Kuzuryuus hold such fucked up beliefs?’ he laughed, ‘Most ‘friendly reminders’ we send to those who deal with us, revolve around paying back our hand earned cash!’

‘Stolen money you mean?!’ Hiyoko pointed a finger.

‘Who did send it? Is that why Byakuya organised the party to begin with?’ questioned Mahiru, ‘He likely had us gather together to avoid something like this’.

‘So, one thing is obvious, a murder was planned from the start’, Gundham stated, ‘I have a feeling that someone responsible for party preparations laid out a trap in advance’.

‘Was it something to do with that glowing tape?’ Tora pondered. 

‘That’s what I was thinking’, agreed Chiaki, ‘Someone must have planted it there’.

‘It wasn’t me’, Ibuki shook her head, ‘Neither did Kazuichi. I saw him install the chandelier while I was getting the stage set up and I didn’t see him stick it on the ceiling. I remember the two of us left earlier than the other two party planners. Someone must have put it there when we were gone’.

‘Yeah, and when I was gathering scrap metal on the beach, I saw Byakuya emerging, Nagito followed about ten minutes afterwards’, Kazuichi explained.

‘Thinking about it, Nagito was quite eager to help out’, Ibuki turned to face him.

‘No… it can’t be’, I felt my heart begin to plummet as I felt a wave of denial sweep over my body, ‘What are you implying? You have to be wrong!’ Nagito just stood there and said nothing, ‘Nagito please say something! You were my friend! I know you wouldn’t do such a thing’.

‘Oh my God…’ Akane uttered, ‘Does that mean?’ Nagito’s lips curled into a smile.

‘Nagito stop fucking around!’ I called out, ‘Please cut it out!’

‘What did you do Komaeda?’ a shadow crossed over Peko’s face.

‘There isn’t enough evidence, I just can’t imagine it being him…’ 

At that moment, we stood in shock as the prelude to an evil laugh came from Nagito’s stand.

‘What is even happening right now?!’ yelled Nekomaru.

‘Do you have no shame?!’ I cried.

‘Nope!’ Nagito shrugged, ‘Had to get the ball rolling somehow!’

‘You are inspiring hope by letting something terrible happen? How does that even make sense?’

‘It is a well-known fact that hope is at its strongest during the bleakest times. Just look up the all the major wars that happened throughout history, even when the combatants were at their lowest morale, hope was utilised to keep the fight going’.

‘What about those who lost, and had their nation plummet into chaos and disarray?’ Akane’s anger was now directed at the man who I thought was my friend, ‘Did hope save them then?’

‘Friendly reminder that Japan was one of those 'losers' not even a century ago’, I brought up.

‘That’s the reason Hope’s Peak was built in the first place wasn’t it?!’ Nagito grinned, ‘To bring a beacon of hope to a nation devastated by war and despair?

‘Yes, but friendship, co-operation and helping one another are just as vital when it comes to achieving hope. Hope as a concept alone, is essential to our retaining our sanity and humanity on this fucked up planet, but those things are also needed alongside it. Without them, hope can be used as a weapon to hurt people, as you seem to be doing Nagito…’

‘Getting philosophical are we Hajime?’ he laughed, ‘But the truth is, friendship is ultimately meaningless. How many times have you lost friends throughout your existence? Whether it’s because you found new friends or needed to travel far away to focus on your career, you always drifted apart somehow. Humans are selfish creatures and companionship is merely a band aid solution. Hope on the other hand, is essential for our survival, even if a few sacrifices are required’.

‘This is nuts!’ Kazuichi called out.

‘Nuttier than squirrel poo…’, Hiyoko nodded.

‘Maybe if I was a better parental figure, this would never have happened’, sighed Monomi, ‘It’s all my fault…’

‘Yup’, Monokuma nodded, ‘You are such a bad parent that if you had kittens of your own, they will surely be snatched by predators in no time, just like how I’m going pick of your little darlings, one by one!’ he winked in our direction, causing the rabbit to wail hopelessly from her metal prison.

‘I’m right you know’, Nagito shrugged, ‘You may not believe me now, but when Monokuma gives out more motives and your reputation is on the line, you may want to at least consider my words’.

‘Why should we listen to the words of a mad prophet?’ Gundham snarled.

‘Yeah, what makes you think we need your opinion?’ snapped Mahiru.

‘I don’t wish to be a dictator. Hell, you can even lock me up if you wish! I will still be telling the truth, however. No matter how far you run, it will catch up to you eventually!’ Nagito grinned.

At that moment I wished that I was back on the couch, passed out with nothing but pink elephants on parade in my mind, not having to comprehend the insanity that was unfolding around us.

‘I cannot believe you would do this’, my face was in my hands, ‘Why does it have to be this way?’

‘I am only doing what is right, don’t you get it?’ Nagito spoke in a pleading tone.

‘No’, the others shook their heads in response.

‘Whatever. I will do whatever it takes to bring hope to this island, even if it kills me!’

‘Wait… did you say, ‘even if it kills me’?’’

‘Why, yes I did!’ 

‘If you are truly passionate about this, then answer me this... Did you kill Byakuya Togami?’

‘While I did play my part in the murder, I was not the one to deliver the killing blow!’

‘Would you so kindly give us your testimony then?’

‘Sure thing! It was quite simple really! When the power went out, I positioned myself so that I was standing under the marker. However, Byakuya must have seen what I was doing through those fancy night vision goggles of his and charged over to push me out of the way. Milliseconds after he did so, I heard the crashing and the banging as the nail gun sniper below hit the target above’.

‘What the fuck?’ I gasped, ‘You wanted to be the victim?’

‘Originally yes’, Nagito nodded, ‘I had to begin it somehow, didn’t I? Besides Hajime, I’m not all that special compared to the others. My loss would have been worth it if it means the start of a new era!’

‘Nagito don’t say that, your talent shouldn’t dictate your importance!’

‘What do you know?’ he looked frustrated now, ‘You don’t even know what your talent is! By all means it should have been me! These guys however’, he gave a sweep of his arm, indicating the others, ‘they had their ultimate statuses practically marked down since birth. Through their talents they have helped to bring optimism into the world, and because of this, unlike me, they are perfect candidates to bring about a conquest of hope!’

‘Conquest? That sounds a little violent doesn’t it?’ Chiaki tilted her head.

‘He is even more fanatical than the mad street preachers I have come across!’ exclaimed Akane.

At that moment Nagito’s eyes widened, ‘Damn… did I go into one of my little tangents again?’

‘Oh, you did way more than that!’ I pointed in his direction, ‘You betrayed us, you helped to get Byakuya killed, you scared us all shitless and now you are making me question my sanity!’ I took a deep breath, ‘Even if you didn’t kill Byakuya, you are in big trouble!’

‘Nevertheless…’ he stared up at the ceiling, ‘The point still stands’.

‘Come on…’ sighed Chiaki, ‘We should probably find out who the killer is’.

‘Yes, we will deal with you later’, Gundham shot Nagito a deadly glare with his working eye.

‘So, who was in the room at the time of the murder?’

‘I can testify to that!’ Mahiru announced, ‘Alongside my ghost snapshot, I shot other pictures shortly before the murder took place’.

‘May I see that?’

‘Sure!’ she printed off several photos and they were passed over to Chiaki.

‘Let’s recap’, she turned towards Nekomaru, ‘you were waiting to use the bathroom right!’

‘Yup’, he grinned, ‘On the bright side, the long wait made that shit feel particularly good!’

‘Thank you Nekomaru... And, you saw Hajime, right?’

‘You bet your ass I did!’ he yelled.

‘I saw him too, shortly before seeing the ‘ghost’ in the dark’, said Peko, ‘I made a beeline towards the crime scene when the lights came back on, but I think I would have known if Hajime walked past me. As the Ultimate Swordswoman, I was trained in a way so that my senses are particularly keen!’

‘And even if he did, I imagine he would have been too intoxicated to aim accurately’, Mikan stated, ‘I doubt he would be able to repair the power wires safely, let alone quickly’.

‘He probably would have gotten fried if he tried to do that in his state’, Hiyoko giggled.

Chiaki passed the photos toward me, ‘At the time of the incident there were four party goers missing from the room’.

As I compared the photos a gut-wrenching revelation came across me, ‘I was passed out on the couch, Peko and Nekomaru were near the bathroom that means… Oh God… why did I not consider it previously’, I looked back up, ‘I think I know who the ‘ghost’ was!’

‘Who?’ Nagito tilted his head.

‘Only someone with the talent to do so could have repaired the wires that quickly, the Ultimate Mechanic to be precise’, I glared in Kazuichi’s direction.

‘I… I don’t know what you are talking about! This is madness!’ a bead of sweat ran down his cheek.

‘You were in the kitchen for the most part weren’t you, Kazuichi?’ I frowned, ‘You didn’t have a long way to go in order to reach the storage room and turn off the power. Also considering the basement door was in the same corridor, it makes sense that the others would have caught a glimpse of you!’

‘This is bullshit! What are you accusing me for?’

‘Speaking of which…’ Chiaki spoke up, ‘Remember when Nagito and I heard you? That doesn’t mean you were in the room, however. You were not present in Mahiru’s photos either, unless you count the ‘ghost’ picture of course!’ 

‘Damn, so I didn’t capture a new cryptid after all then…’ sighed Mahiru.

‘Wait a second, there has to be a mistake! None of this makes any logical sense!’ Kazuichi protested.

‘The floorboards!’ cried Sonia, ‘Sound traveled through them easily, meaning that if anyone yelled, it could give the illusion that they were in the room above’.

‘Ah very clever!’ Kazuichi pointed in my direction, ‘But you still couldn’t locate the murder weapon, could you Hajime? Maybe you should have thought about that one before making accusations!’

‘Shit!’ I stamped my foot on the ground, ‘What are we supposed to do now?’

‘Wait Hajime!’ Chaiki called out, ‘Think about this for a second!’

‘We couldn’t find the murder weapon, there is no way to place the guilt on someone now surely?’

‘Seriously! Don’t you think that Kazuichi could have hidden it somewhere?’

‘Fuck! I never thought about that… We can’t go back and look for it now though, we are screwed!’

‘Is this it then?’ the bear smiled, showing off his dagger like teeth, ‘Are you giving up? Perhaps you should have used 'this' more often during your investigation’, he tapped his skull with his claw.

‘Sorry guys’, I clutched my head in my hands, ‘I have doomed you all! I’m such a dumbass...’

‘Hajime snap out of it!’ snapped Chiaki, ‘As much as I hate to say it, the furball does have a point’, she tapped her own head with her finger, ‘Now then, was there anything of notice in the kitchen?’

‘Let me think… Shit… Well… it’s a little far-fetched, but it’s what I’ve got’.

‘Okay then, what have you come up with then?’ she gestured towards me. I walked to the spot where Chiaki was standing and whispered the answer in her ear. When I got back to my spot, she gave me the thumbs up before waving and whistling in the bear’s direction, ‘Hey Monokuma!’

‘What?!’ the bear eyed her suspiciously.

‘Do you want some nice tasty meat?’

‘Are you taking the piss?!’

‘No! Not at all!’ she laughed nervously, ‘In the kitchen there was a huge hunk of meat, and I mean huge! Trust me, it’s not hard to miss!’

‘Hmmm’, the bear’s eyebrows furrowed, ‘Do you mean this hunka meat?’ he clicked his claws together and we gasped as the large chunk of meat appeared right in front of him.

‘How did you do that?!’ Sonia looked on in awe.

‘Hey! No fair!’ Akane lamented, ‘That meat has my name on it!’

‘So, what do you want me to do then?’ the bear was drooling rather intensely as the delicious smell of the meat filled the room around us, Akane looking on with great jealousy.

‘Hajime reckons there is something important to the investigation embedded inside. We were wondering with you being a bear and all... whether you can help us?’

‘Well…’ Monokuma spoke in a rather flattered tone of voice, ‘I’m sure it isn’t tasty as a baby seal, but I’m sure this hunk of deliciousness will suit me nicely in the meantime!’

‘You eat baby seals?’ cried Monomi.

‘Alright then! Come to papa!’ the bear gave a wild grin before he took the first bite.

It was like watching a scene from Jurassic Park right before our eyes, as Monokuma ripped and tore at the meat with his teeth and claws, emitting horrible noises as he did so. After every bite he gave a warning growl in our direction, a signal not to get any closer. None of us dared to get anywhere near the possessive creature, not even Akane who was still clearly craving the meat which was getting increasingly smaller as the bear chowed down.

‘Hey what’s this?’ Monokuma stood back, the meat had been shredded, and sitting in the middle of it was something metal, glinting through what was left of it, ‘How very smart!’

‘They were smart yes, but not smart enough’, I pointed in Kazuichi’s direction again.

‘It’s Nagito’s fault!’ he protested. ‘He’s the one who planned it all from the start!’

‘You had the choice not to get involved however’ Nagito shrugged, ‘And what did you do?’

‘What was I supposed to do? Just allow you to get away with this!?’ 

‘Trying to act all heroic were ya Kazuichi?’ laughed Fuyuhiko softly, ‘Pathetic…’

‘Only a fool would go along with such a scheme’, Gundham murmured, ‘You wanted to appear brave by taking matters into your own hands, but instead you were nothing more than a mindless sheep’.

‘What do you know, you discount Elder Scrolls villain?!’ Kazuichi was panicking now.

‘It’s true though’, Chiaki said, ‘You didn’t have to play into his hands like that you know…’

‘I didn’t intend to kill Byakuya, I was aiming for the one who had started it all. By killing him I could have brought this fucked up game to an end!’

‘Don’t even begin with the whole ‘he started it’ nonsense’, Mahiru put her hands on her hips, 

‘Yeah, cut the crap already!’ growled Akane.

‘I could have prevented further deaths… He was planning on this from the beginning and had I got him, I might have been able to stop this insanity!’ Kazuichi desperately insisted.

‘And put our lives at risk?’ I raised an eyebrow, ‘Even if you did hit your intended target, I doubt you will be so eager to admit your guilt and save the rest of us’.

‘I would have! You have to believe me!’

‘Yeah right…’ scoffed Hiyoko, ‘Let’s face it, you only did this to save your own ass Kazuichi’.

‘Abandoning your fellow subjects is most un-princess-like!’, Sonia proclaimed.

‘Just be thankful you aren’t under my leadership Kazuichi. You surely know what we Kuzuryuus do to cowardly scum by now’, he winked in Akane’s direction, causing her to bristle.

‘And even if your intentions were noble, you still murdered a person regardless’, Peko pointed out.

‘Yeah there is that tiny problem…’, Nagito nodded.

‘Shut up Nagito’, I rounded on him, ‘Don’t act like you had nothing to do with this!’

‘So then’, Monokuma rolled onto his back, ‘You think Kazuichi is the one who killed Byakuya?’

‘Positive’, I nodded.

‘No Hajime, you cannot do this!’ Kazuichi clenched his hair in his hands.

‘Why don’t you give an analysis then?’ the bear purred.

‘Go on Hajime!’ Chiaki encouraged me, ‘It’s your time to shine!’ All eyes were on me.

‘Well?’ 

‘Very well then, I will try and piece this whole thing together!’ I cleared my throat, ‘Here is what happened in this case!

Before the murder took place, the killer was situated in the kitchen, making it easy for them to carry out their plans without attracting attention. In order to distract us, they made their way to the storage room where they cut the power chords, causing the building to fall into blackness. The killer draped themselves in a white tablecloth, nail gun in hand, as well as a flashlight to help them guide them through the dark. As a result, Peko and Ibuki caught a glimpse of what they thought was a ghost and Mahiru managed to snap a picture of the murderer before they descended into the cellar.

In order to not get detected beneath, the killer was forced to switch off the flashlight and use the marker that Nagito had earlier placed above the chandelier for guidance. During the commotion, the killer used the floorboards to their advantage, making noise through the cracks to give the illusion that they were in the same room above them. Meanwhile the victim, Byakuya Togami was overseeing security after he received a threatening letter from Nagito earlier. When the blackout occurred, he donned a pair of night vision goggles. Seeing Nagito acting suspiciously, Byakuya charged towards him to get him out of the way, little did he know what fate would befall him seconds later.

Meanwhile the killer was getting ready. Taking out the nail gun, they pulled the trigger. Since the projectile was fired through the floorboards, it hit the target, sending the already unstable chandelier and part of the ceiling crashing down, killing Byakuya along the way. To avoid getting covered in blood and glass shards, the killer used the tablecloth to shield themselves. While the other party goers were distracted, the murderer returned to the kitchen and embedded the nail gun in the meat in order to hide it. They then made their way to the storage room and thanks to their talent, they were able to repair the wires quickly and turn the power back on.

Kazuichi Souda, you’ve been busted!’

‘What? No!’ Kazuichi cried, ‘Let me explain I beg you!’

‘You can explain after the voting session’, Monokuma bared his teeth.

‘Kazuichi… how could you do such a cruel thing?’ Monomi whimpered.

‘You must understand, it’s not as simple as you think!’ Kazuichi begged.

‘We have no time to waste little cubs!’ the bear clapped his paws, ‘Let the voting commence!’ 

To our surprise, we watched as stone plinths rose up from the ground, one for each of us. Each one had a sharp metal spike and a flat slate surface.

‘Um… Monokuma, how are we supposed to do this without any ink?’ I asked.

‘Ah! It seems I have forgotten to give you an explanation. This isn’t your standard voting procedure you see, it is also a ritual’, he indicated the spikes, ‘Because of this, your blood is required’.

‘What?!’, we all gasped in horror.

'Nuh uh', Tora swallowed.

'There's no way I'm doing that!' Hiyoko protested.

‘What’s wrong with just using pen and ink? Why blood?!’ I questioned.

‘From what I have studied, blood is supposed as a binding force during a ritual, especially if it involves spirits who have connections to the demon realm!’ Sonia lectured us.

‘Sonia summed it up nicely!’ Monokuma nodded, ‘But no worries little cubs, for this particular process you will only need to sacrifice a few drops! Once you have extracted some blood, all you have to do is write who you think the blackened is on the slate!’

‘That sounds easy enough!’ shrugged Nagito, in a rather nonchalant manner he pricked his finger upon the spike and began to write down his vote. 

One by one we all reluctantly followed suit. As I 'wrote' down my vote I jumped back as my blood appeared to turn into a golden residue. Instead of ink being left over, it looked like someone had carved the writing into the slate with a chisel. Despite the stinging sensation which followed the procedure however, the main source of pain for all of us was having to face the fact that we were sacrificing one of our friends to a terrible fate.

When we all finished writing our choices down, the plinths descended into the floor. The bear stood on his hind legs and to our amazement, conjured up a ball of fire in his paws. He caused the fire to levitate to the centre of the room, once there, we noticed that it was changing shape. As though we were at a magic show, we gasped as the fire took the form of Kazuichi. Kazuichi himself could only stand there frozen as he stared up at his fiery doppelganger.

‘So then little cubs, is this the one who killed Byakuya Togami?’ We could only muster a nod. None of us believed he deserved to die, even after his crimes, ‘Then it is decided!’ Monokuma roared, clapping his paws again and the fire figure turned into nothing more than a pile of ash. Once again, we all stood with open mouths as the bear with a surprising level of agility leaped from his platform, soaring over us before he landed soundlessly in the middle of the circle.

‘You heartless old hairball!’ Monomi rattled the bars of her cage, ‘I will not let this stand!’

Laughing under his breath, Monokuma prowled around in a circle, eyeing us in a predatory fashion, ‘That meat was good, but there is always room for some dessert, don’t you agree?’, he chuckled, ‘Look at you all standing there in a vulnerable state, alone and scared, it’s the same look baby seals used to give me before I…’ he snapped his jaws, his sharp teeth glistening under the light.

‘Just get to the fucking point already!’ huffed Fuyuhiko.

‘Fine, fine!’ Monokuma returned to his spot in the middle of the room, ‘Alas… I won’t be able to snack on you today. You have guessed correctly, give yourselves a pat on the back I suppose…’

‘We did?’ Nekomaru tilted his head in confusion.

‘I’m an overseer, remember? I know everything that goes on here!’ the bear grinned, ‘But it would ruin the whole point of the game if I was to tell you everything, wouldn’t it? Now you have guessed correctly however, there is only one thing left to deal with’, he shot Kazuichi an evil grin.

‘No, please!’ Kazuichi held out his hands, ‘I just want to go home, I don’t want to be a part of this!’

‘Bla bla bla’, the bear mocked him, ‘I’m a demon, I’m not interested in the feelings of mortals! Cry all you want, nobody will save you from your inevitable fate!’ he unsheathed his claws.

‘I came to Hope’s Peak so I could expand my talent beyond my garage. I was making breakthroughs with my studies of technology! I want to use my talent to do good in the world!’

‘Talk to the paw, because the face ain’t listening!’ 

‘I don’t think you used your talent for good in this case Kazuichi’, I shook my head.

'Nagito put me up to it, I swear! If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have killed Byakuya’, he trembled from head to toe, ‘When Byakuya and Ibuki were out of earshot, he told me of his plans’.

‘Is this true Nagito?’

‘Yep’, he nodded, ‘I knew from the beginning that you would find out eventually, I just decided to give Kazuichi a little head’s up, nothing more! I saw him gazing at the horizon when he was collecting scrap metal. That way, I knew he was desperate to get off this island, so I gave him the leg up!’

‘I seriously thought you were my friend, our friend…’, I raised my fist in his direction, tears in my eyes, ‘But instead you stabbed me in the back and used us for your sick agenda!’

‘You see guys, Nagito is the one who got us all into this mess in the first place!’ Kazuichi pointed a shaking hand at him.

‘You didn’t have to go along with it though, you didn’t need to betray us like that’, Akane growled.

‘It’s like that famous saying’, Chiaki cleared her throat, ‘If someone was to jump off a cliff, would you go too?’

‘Okay little cubs enough bitching!’ Monokuma held up a paw, ‘As much as I love a bit of drama, I have a very special punishment prepared for young Kazuichi, and we really should get on with it!’

‘No please!’ Kazuichi approached him and got on his knees, ‘I will do anything! Just let me go back home!’ behind him we saw a metal crow cage descend downwards on thick chains.

‘I am not Satan Kazuichi’, Monokuma prowled up to him causing him to unknowingly step into the cage, ‘I don’t work that way!’ On its own, the cage door slammed, trapping Kazuichi inside.

‘Please let me go Monokuma, please!’ Kazuichi cried as the cage ascended.

‘I am Monokuma the Lord of Despair, you play by my rules and you lost!’ the bear snarled before turning to face us, ‘Come!’ he beckoned us forwards to what looked like an old elevator.

One by one, we stepped into the device, terrified to see what horrible fate awaited our classmate. Once we were all inside, the doors clattered shut and the lift ascended. 

Our hearts in our throats, we stepped out to see a large chamber which resembled an arena with cheering spectators. We could only watch in horror as Kazuichi hung from the ceiling, tied with thick ropes around his body, resembling a human pinata. A neon sign came down on chains reading the following, 'Execution for the Ultimate Mechanic, Kazuichi Souda: Metal Massacre'.

On each side of the stadium was a large metal door. The two of them slowly opened, causing the crowd to cheer even louder. Two gigantic robots the size of a house stepped out, their eyes red as hell and pillars of black steam emitting from the engines on their iron backs. Every time they took a step towards Kazuichi we could hear their metal joints working away, and the hairs stood up on the back of our necks. I remembered enjoying watching cartoons featuring colourful colossal robots battling each other and showing off some toy versions I had to my friends. But it was in that moment, amid Kazuichi’s bloodcurdling screams, when my childhood died.

The bright red eyes of the robots bore into Kazuichi’s as the two of them faced each other. For a few seconds there was only a tense silence but then a whistle blew and the robots began to land their first punches towards the young man thrashing in his binds between them.

We could only watch in horror as Kazuichi was brutally bludgeoned right before our eyes. With every punch from the robots’ iron fists, he was sent swinging into the path of the other. As the machines continued to treat Kazuichi as a literal punching bag, blood began to drip down and his face was becoming unrecognisable due to the unbelievable amount of trauma inflicted upon it.

Minutes later, but for what seemed like hours, Kazuichi finally succumbed to his injuries as he hung limply, his neck drooping to one side, his body little more than a bloody pulp.

‘Well that was fun wasn’t it?!’ Monokuma spoke from behind us, a chained Monomi at his side.

‘Why?!’ Monomi cried, looking at the body hanging there, ‘I will make sure you pay for this Monokuma!’

‘Silence!’ the bear once again sent the rabbit flying into the air before landing with a crunch to the ground, ‘Now where was I, oh yes!’ He turned towards a Hellish iron door which seemed to lead back outside the cave, ‘Feel free to leave little cubs, I will give you some time to mourn those you have lost and then…’ he smirked, ‘Round 2 shall commence! Oh boy won’t that be exciting!’

None of us said a word as we continued to gaze in shock at the corpse of our friend, who minutes before was pleading for his life to be spared. Even Fuyuhiko, who had been involved in a bloody gang war couldn't fully comprehend what he was seeing. It was only with great effort that I and the others were able to pry our eyes away from the horrifying scene before us and step back into the real world, hearing the laughs of the bear and the cries of despair from the rabbit behind us.


	6. Part 2: Murder at Twilight, Day 1 Normal Campus Life

We walked out of the cave saying nothing. Behind me, Gundham, Nekomaru, Peko and Akane flanked Nagito from each side. He did not seem bothered by this however as we slowly and solemnly made our way back to the lodge.

‘So, what are you gonna do to me?’ Nagito asked with a rather glum look on his face, ‘Tie me up? Spank me? Flog me with a cat ‘o’ nine tails? Unless you personally prefer it to be the other way around of course!’, he winked and laughed feebly.

‘Cut the crap Nagito!’ I snapped, ‘We are not doing anything like that! We don’t want to sink down to your level after all, not after today’, I clenched my fists as I choked back angry tears. Even though I had only known him for a little while, I had formed a bond with Nagito since arriving on the island. Now however I knew it was all a lie, he had cast our friendship aside for his twisted ideology.

‘What do you have planned for me then?’

‘We are locking you in your room for the time being until we know we can trust you’, I explained when the lodge came into view, ‘Nekomaru is taking care of your keys. You will have bathroom access and your food will be delivered up to you, but you will not be able to cause any trouble. That sounds pretty reasonable if I don’t say so myself’, I turned my head away from him, still angry as Nagito’s escorts followed him up the stairs.

‘I’m still right you know!’ Nagito yelled as the others locked the door.

‘Finally, some peace and quiet!’ Hiyoko sighed with relief as the rest of us gathered in the lounge.

‘We need to honour Byakuya and Kazuichi somehow’, Sonia spoke up.

‘I hate the idea of them only being memorialised by Monokuma’s horrible ‘shrines’’, agreed Akane.

‘Should we really be honouring a murderer?’ Peko raised an eyebrow.

‘Honestly, I don’t think Kazuichi would have committed the act had it not been for that furry fucker and his sick game’, Nekomaru shook his head, ‘Even though we only knew them for a short while, they have friends and families back on the mainland and I think we should do this for their sake too’, 

After some discussion we decided to hold a fire lit vigil for the deceased on the beach. As we all headed outside however, Fuyuhiko stayed put, propping his feet up on the sofa.

‘Are you not coming along?’ I asked him.

‘I prefer to not get involved in the personal affairs of my clients’, he grinned, cigar in hand.

‘But Byakuya is…’ Ibuki tilted her head in confusion.

‘Come on’, Akane growled, ‘What do you expect from people like him?’

When we finally reached the shoreline, we all gathered sticks from the nearby forest just as the sun was rising, finally obstructing the terrible blood moon. When we had piled up enough wood to make a fire, we all stood around it held a minute’s silence in Byakuya and Kazuichi’s memory. 

After the memorial service was finished, some of the students trudged back to the lodge to get an early morning nap whereas others, myself included, decided to sit beside the fire. 

‘Are you okay Hajime?’ Tora asked me.

‘Yeah… I’m fine I suppose’, I sighed as I drew lines in the sand with a small stick.

‘I can’t believe Nagito betrayed us like that’, Akane spoke with gritted teeth, ‘It must have especially hurt for you though Hajime, you two seemed pretty close’.

‘Well there are other fish in the sea I suppose…’

‘I just hope he doesn’t hurt anyone else’, Nekomaru looked out to the horizon, ‘Hopefully his time out should teach him that we won’t tolerate such things. On this island we believe in the power of teamwork!’.

‘Do you think Monokuma has motives planned for us?’ Sonia asked, Gundham resting his head on her lap, ‘I mean even if he did, I can’t imagine something like this happening again surely?’

‘Alas’, Gundham uttered, ‘whereas animals fight each other for survival, humans always try to come up with an excuse to start conflict among themselves, no matter how petty that reason may be…’

‘Gundham is right’, Akane looked back in the direction of the lodge, ‘Some people will go to insane lengths to get what they want, even if it means getting away with murder’.

‘Akane…’ I brought up, ‘If you don’t mind telling us, what did happen to your brother?’

‘It’s fine…’ she stared into the flames, ‘I understand why you would be concerned’.

‘Did he really join the Yakuza?’ gasped Nekomaru.

‘Kind of…’ she sighed deeply, ‘Something you have to understand is that even though he was only a year younger than me, I always saw him as my baby brother. We went through so much together Riku and I, I can’t remember how many times I had to get him out of trouble’, she laughed feebly, ‘He could do gymnastics too, so he even joined in with some of my street performances!’

‘So, what happened then?’ frowned Tora.

‘The recession happened that’s what. Our street performances were not making enough money to pay for rent. They… never really made enough money in the first place but the economic crash made us desperate, I mean… we couldn’t even afford to eat sometimes’.

‘Jesus Christ!’ gasped Nekomaru.

‘I know right?! Anyway, the point is my brother eventually became tired of living in such conditions. That’s when he started fraternising with gang members. They scouted out people like him you see, all over Tokyo, operating as a network. They approached those who felt worthless… wanted to feel part of something important, prove their manhood, gain bragging rights… that kinda thing. I tried to convince him to stop of course but the siren song of the Crazy Diamonds was too great’.

‘The Crazy Diamonds, are you sure it was them?’ I asked, ‘No way!’

Akane nodded, ‘I recognised their memorabilia from far away. Problem is… as you may know, the Diamonds were not your typical trouble making varmints. By that point in time it was generally accepted that they were in the pockets of the Yakuza. They ended up becoming an important recruitment base for the Kuzuryuu clan. That’s how the gang got so huge in the first place. The police and the government pretty much denied it, but to anyone who had a brain, this link was an open secret. The amount of manpower the Diamonds had to offer helped put the Kuzuryuus back on the map, sparking the first major gang war in years!’

‘So, your brother ended up joining a big scary biker gang, then what?’

A tear ran down her cheek, ‘The war had already been taking place when he joined. In the times I did get to see him, my little brother would always carry wounds of some kind. I mean…’ she sniffed, ‘… can you imagine it? Many of those fighting on behalf of the Kuzuryuus were just kids at the end of the day, kids whose brains were warped into thinking that violence was the only way to get around in society. Hell, I heard that the Crazy Diamonds leader at the time, much like Riku, was just a pup himself…’.

‘Damn… talk about turning babies into cowboys!’ Tora exclaimed.

‘Yeah…’ Akane began to trace lines in the sand herself, ‘As he continued to live the gangster lifestyle, I could tell he was traumatised and terrified even if he didn't want to admit it. I mean seeing your friends get stabbed, shot or bludgeoned in the streets, especially at his age, must have taken a pretty big toll on him’.

‘Yeah, I bet…’ Nekomaru uttered, ‘I mean… shit!’

‘So… what happened after that?’ asked Sonia apprehensively.

Akane rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, ‘Apparently it became too much him and he got cold feet and ran. He only left me a note, saying that he couldn’t stay in Tokyo anymore. For a while I was happy that he finally saw sense but two weeks later a police officer approached and informed me that Riku had been found dead in a hotel room. After the coroner’s report was released to the public, it was revealed during the autopsy that his body contained high amounts of cyanide’.

‘Holy crap!’ I clapped a hand to my mouth.

‘Did his killer get caught?’ asked Gundham.

‘Nope… but considering how little the police wanted to be involved in Yakuza affairs, his death was eventually marked as a suicide’, Akane pounded her fist on the sand, ‘I call bullshit! Why would someone like him have access to such a high dosage of poison?’

‘What cowards!’ scoffed Tora, ‘Fuck the police seriously…’

‘They didn’t think exposing the truth surrounding his death was worth risking the wrath of the Kuzuryuu clan. After all Riku was just another troublesome delinquent in their eyes. He and others like him were little more than vermin to them, so they did nothing’.

‘Do you reckon a member of the Diamonds did it?’ I questioned.

‘Nah’, Akane shook her head, ‘It is easy to suspect them, the Diamonds did have a reputation for bloodlust, more so than your average Bosozoku gang. Still, they were at the lower end of the Yakuza pecking order and mainly stuck to homemade weapons; besides they would have left too much of a mess. No… this was done by a professional, I’m sure of it. When Riku tried to escape their clutches, the Kuzuryuus probably didn’t want to take any chances, so they got one of their hitmen to track him down and kill him, cleanly and quietly. Ever since the police decided not to act, I wanted to be the one to give my little brother the justice he deserves. That is why I was so convinced, and hopeful, that ‘he’ was the murderer’.

‘Yeah, I couldn’t believe it was Kazuichi of all people’, Tora shrugged, ‘Then again, I suppose some wolves wear sheep’s clothing’.

‘Well…’, Gundham laughed, ‘We all have an inner bloodthirsty killer inside us somewhere, don’t we? It’s something that mother nature intended for our survival. But as humankind developed, they started to take that gift for granted. The only reasons we aren’t all killing each other at this moment is because we have been able to control that urge’.

‘Also, it’s illegal… but yeah…’ I heaved myself off the ground.

‘I just hope we will be able to control our inner murderers throughout our stay here’, Nekomaru also stood up, as did the others, ‘Akane, do you feel comfortable doing an early morning workout?’

‘Yeah, why not? It will be good for me to let off some steam I suppose…’ Akane smiled weakly.

‘Okay then!’ let’s get to it!’ Nekomaru clapped his hands and he and Akane began some stretching routines, Tora meanwhile waved us off as she dashed past.

‘Catch you later guys! I need to complete my morning jog before the sun gets too hot!’

‘I will see you at breakfast my Dark Queen’, Gundham kissed Sonia on the hand, ‘But now my crows need feeding’, he blew on the bird caller and the four birds landed on his arm, he looked over to me, ‘And I am sure we will be meeting again soon, Hajime Hinata’.

‘See you later darling’, Sonia nodded in my direction, ‘You were brilliant at the trial!’

‘I dunno, I think Chiaki really stood out’, I grinned sheepishly as we made our way to our rooms.

After getting into my nightwear I immediately collapsed on my bed and fell asleep. 

I was jostled awake from my morning slumber when I could hear rattling around me, and I swore I could feel the ground shaking. At first, I thought it was just a bad dream but when I heard the distressed calls of the animals outside, I knew that something was not right, even after the trembling below my feet had subsided. I pulled on my dressing gown and stepped out of my room to see that the others had felt the strange sensation too.

‘What the Hell was that?!’ I heard Ibuki yell over the commotion.

‘An earthquake I think’, Chiaki pondered, ‘I suspect it came from that big old volcano outside’.

‘Oh no… oh no….’ Mikan’s teeth were chattering.

‘Yes’, Hiyoko’s smile widened, ‘This island is gonna be engulfed in lava before you know it!’

‘Oh, shut up’, Chiaki scoffed, ‘When I saw your first reaction, it looked like you had wet yourself’.

‘No I didn’t!’ Hiyoko’s smug expression disappeared as quickly as it came, ‘Why do you have to be so mean?!’

‘Why don’t we all get some breakfast?’ Mahiru indicated the stairs and we all headed down to the dining room to eat. I was so distracted by what had happened however that I did not pay attention to the pain in my back.

‘Hey Hajime, are you okay?’ Chiaki looked at me in a concerned way.

‘Yeah… I think I just slept in an odd position’, I groaned as we gathered downstairs.

‘I’ve never experienced such an interesting natural phenomenon!’ exclaimed Sonia, ‘In Novoselic it’s General Winter who we have to worry about!’

‘My four dark devas are quite distressed’, Gundham told her, ‘It was unusually difficult convincing them to come out of my room’, looking closer I could see that he had fresh bandages on, and he appeared paler than normal, ‘I cannot allow them to sit indoors however, they are wild at heart and need to stretch those wings!’

‘Hey guys!’ we looked over to see Akane and Nekomaru appear, panting and sweating from their morning workout session, ‘You felt the earthquake too, right?’

‘Yeah Akane we did’, nodded Tora, ‘I seriously thought this place was sinking into the ocean! We reckon it has something to do with the big ass volcano outside’.

‘I just hope we can get off the island before it blows it’s top off!’ Nekomaru said, ‘It’s more nerve-wracking than the time I had severe constipation…’

‘Delightful comparison…’ Peko shook her head.

‘Peko, if you don’t mind me asking, what did make you and Nekomaru feel ill last night?’ Mikan asked, ‘You still look a little pale’.

‘It’s okay Mikan I’m feeling a little better, I think it was the oysters…’

‘I’m pescatarian but I do not trust anything that moves around in its home’, Gundham spoke.

‘Yeah’, Sonia nodded, ‘I mean… they move around on the bottom of the ocean, who knows what they could have been eating before they were caught?’

‘Oh, don’t make me feel worse…’ groaned Peko.

‘Hey it’s alright!’ Tora sat down beside her, ‘When you have rested up a bit, how about we go and explore the new island that has opened up?’

‘Did I hear that correctly?’ I asked.

‘Oh yes!’ Tora nodded, ‘I discovered it during my morning run!’

‘Have you explored it yet?’ questioned Chiaki.

‘Not yet, I thought it would be better if we all explored it together. Although, I do remember seeing this huge ruin on the island, I don’t know who built it or why, but it was intriguing all the same!’

‘A ruin?’ Sonia tilted her head, ‘I wonder if we will be able to get inside!’

‘Come on, let’s check it out!’ Ibuki pointed towards the door.

‘Hang on, what about Nagito?’ I brought up, ‘He needs to eat too, doesn’t he?’

‘Who cares?’ Fuyuhiko took a puff on his cigarette from the corner of the room, ‘Why couldn’t we just throw him to the sharks or something? Because you don’t want to ‘sink to his level’? Oh please!’

‘Even if he deserved it, the bear would still force us into another class trial’, Peko told him, ‘Nobody should have to die because of his bullshit’.

‘I guess…’ Fuyuhiko pulled his hat over his eyes as he continued to smoke.

‘I will deliver it’, sighed Chiaki going into the kitchen and emerging with a tray of food. She and Nekomaru, key in hand proceeded up the stairs, ‘We will catch up to you in a minute!’

After a while we saw the two of them emerge, ‘Is he up to no good?’

‘Not really’, Chiaki explained, ‘If anything he seemed pretty chill about his situation. He did ramble a little about hope and that kind of crap, but it was nothing like last night’.

‘Thank God…’ I sighed before we all stepped out and followed Tora to the bridge.

‘Wow Tora you’re right!’ gasped Nekomaru, as he laid his eyes upon the structure in the distance. It was a very tall building, at least six floors high. Nature had clearly taken hold of it however, as vines snaked up to the roof and thick foliage grew all around it.

‘I wonder what civilisation built something this complex’, Sonia beamed. 

‘Maybe it was aliens!’ exclaimed Ibuki.

‘Please… let’s not go there…’ I said in a disgruntled manner as we crossed the wooden bridge.

‘Wow look down there!’ Sonia pointed, looking closer I spotted a small group of seals eyeing us in a curious manner, ‘Aren’t they just the cutest?’

‘They are until you get bitten’, laughed Gundham pointing out a large scar on his shin, 'I got a nasty infection from it too, I was out of work for at least a month!'

‘Damn…’ I uttered as we began to approach the new island.

We made a beeline towards the great ruin ahead of us. Now we were closer to it, it appeared even taller than what we had expected. We gathered around the entrance, looking up at it in awe.

‘What do you reckon this thing was, a temple?’ Sonia pondered.

‘I don’t think so, the architecture looks too modern, 1940’s at the earliest’, Mahiru said, ‘Maybe it was a World War Two fort or something’.

‘No, a building that high would have been an easy target for enemy planes’, I replied, ‘Still, something about it seems familiar somehow…’

‘Yeah, something about this place rings a bell…’, Tora looked up and down at it.

‘Hey guys, over here!’ I heard Chiaki call out, ‘It looks like some kind of password input system’.

‘Should we try it out?’ questioned Ibuki.

‘I don’t think that would be a good idea’, Peko pointed behind us, indicating two jaguar stone statues in the bushes. As Chiaki walked closer towards the input system, the heads of each statue rotated so they were facing her, ‘Hang on a second, stand back Chiaki!’ She grabbed a long stick, approached the building entrance and used it to poke and prod at the machine. 

Almost instantly, I heard a roar come from the statues, their eyes lit up with fire and their mouths opened wide. We darted out of the way as a stream of many arrows pelted out the stone jaguars jaws like bullets. By the time it was finished, at least a hundred arrows had bounced off the structure.

‘I really don’t think it’s worth the risk’, I said, ‘It must be something pretty damn important they are keeping in there, maybe aliens are involved after all!’

‘Who knows’, shrugged Chiaki, ‘Whatever the case though, I don’t think we should be meddling around here, at least until we are certain what the password is’.

‘Yeah it’s not worth it’, murmured Gundham, clearly showing more interest in an ocelot he found, prowling through the bushes and tree branches above.

Chaiki seemed to display more interest in the wild cat too as she stepped closer, ‘We should try feeding it some fish, then it will change colour and become friendly!’

‘I don’t think nature works quite like that Chiaki…’ I said as everyone prepared to explore the rest of the island, ‘So… shall we see what this place has to offer?’

‘I’ll explore in my own time’, Fuyuhiko was leaning back against a tree, bong in hand.

‘Yeah let’s explore this thing already!’ Akane yelled and soon after the girls went off in groups.

‘Hey guys’, Nekomaru approached Gundham and I, ‘Since there is only the three of us available, won’t it make sense for us boys to stick together?’

‘Sure, why not?’ I shrugged, ‘And I suppose it is indeed only us huh? I mean two are dead, one is under house arrest and the other one wants nothing to do with us’.

‘Even though hanging out with mortals is below me, I suppose there is no harm in being in your company’, Gundham uttered as the ocelot vanished back into the trees. He had apparently reverted to his aloof nature as we were no longer alone together.

‘Well what are we waiting for? Let’s go already!’ Nekomaru put his arms around our shoulders before the three of us started to investigate our surroundings.

‘Hey, let’s check this out’, I pointed towards a rather grand looking building and the other two decided to follow suit. I opened the oak door to see shelves upon shelves of books, ‘I wonder what a place like this is doing on an island? Not that I mind of course, I love getting into a good book’.

‘So, what do you like Gundham? Stories with cute animals?’ Nekomaru asked.

‘Those stories are unrealistic’, he replied, ‘nature is full of death, destruction and danger, I like reading books when the animals must confront and find a way around those things. Fiction authors tend to put their shoes in those of the animals better than most. They don’t paint over mother nature’s more unpleasant aspects with a convenient brush’.

‘So, you like sad books then, like Watership Down?’ I questioned.

‘If that’s what you call them then yes’, Gundham nodded as his birds zoomed up and down the room, ‘But what you call ‘sad’ books, I just see them as stories about life’.

‘Yeah, I mean look at our situation. Half the anime shows I watch portray school life as fun and easy-going, perhaps even the best days of your life. Yes, the characters are sometimes bogged down by schoolwork, but they generally emerge from the building, chipper and with several trusty friends on their shoulders. Real life however is a bitch, except rather than the constant fear of failure that most students experience, we are literally fearing for our lives!’

‘Now, now boys!’ Nekomaru clapped a hand on our backs, ‘Don’t be Debbie Downers, with Akane and I on this island I can guarantee your safety!’

‘How is Akane’s training going by the way?’

‘That lass is determined let me tell you! Although she is stubborn as a mule however, she kicks like one too! She hasn’t beaten me in a fight yet, but young Tora might have to watch her back!’

‘I’m glad to know she’s doing well!’

‘Hey Gundham!’ I saw Sonia emerge from one of the sections of the library and set her books down on a desk, ‘I’m currently reading about the Genocide Jack case, it’s very interesting!’

‘You are into the occult AND serial killers?!’ I gasped.

‘I just find the psychology surrounding them to be fascinating, nothing more’, she told me, ‘A proper princess goes outside of her comfort zone!’

‘I don’t believe the library of a princess should be limited to specific topics. It’s just that serial killers are not the first thing I’d picture someone from royalty reading about’.

‘As a princess I have had several attempts on my life. Because of this I feel it is my duty to find out what leads people to commit such terrible actions!’

‘Or they are just revolutionaries who are tired of an ancient despotic regime making all the important decisions in Novoselic…’, I murmured under my breath.

‘I find the Genocide Jack case to be simply fascinating, tragic of course, but fascinating all the same!’

‘Yeah it was pretty bad, the whole of Japan was very much shaken up. Before his identity was discovered, women often traveled around in large groups at night. So many talented and intelligent ladies died under his clutches. He deserved what he got in the end’, Nekomaru growled.

‘I don’t understand why they didn’t catch the fiend sooner’, Gundham gritted his teeth, ‘it was revealed that he had a history of torturing and killing animals before moving onto women. All too often society forgets that when someone starts harming animals for their sick pleasure, it is almost inevitable that other humans will eventually become their next source of prey’.

‘That is true’, I nodded, ‘I am content knowing that he won’t be able to hurt anyone ever again’, I turned towards Sonia, ‘So are there any prominent serial killers in Novoselic?’

‘Why of course’, Sonia stepped up onto the table, clearing her throat, ‘there is the one, the only…’ she spun on her heel, ‘Sparkling Justice!’

‘Who?’ I stared in confusion, ‘That doesn’t sound like a serial killer name, it sounds more like a magical girl or superhero name if anything’.

‘All of their victims have one thing in common, they helped to perpetuate injustice in the world. Like all murderers Sparkling Justice would leave a mark at the crime scene, in their case a mask. The Novoselic police force has obtained a vast collection of such items over the years. Luckily, I was able to obtain some of these masks for myself, some of them even hang in my room!’

‘Why would anyone want to collect serial killer memorabilia?’ 

‘Unlike other serial killers who killed to fulfill a sick desire or bigoted agenda, Sparkling Justice purely targets those who spread injustice in society. That’s why they have gained a cult following over the years. For example, their most recent kill was a doctor at a mental health facility. Further research later revealed that he abused his patients, most of which were children’. At this statement I noticed Gundham fidget nervously before turning away, clutching his bandaged arm tightly.

‘Gundham are you alright?’ Nekomaru put a hand on his shoulder.

‘Yes’, he took a deep breath, ‘I’m glad that bastard is dead. All too often, the authorities don’t take action against such evil, even when it’s happening right under their noses. As a result, it is left up to those below to bring about justice’.

‘You are a Sparkling Justice fan too I see!’ Sonia beamed.

‘My Dark Queen, I respect anyone who is willing to destroy cruelty whenever it manifests, by any means necessary, especially when it is directed at those who are unable to fight back’.

‘I like how you think Gundham!’

‘Well!’ Nekomaru put his hands on his hips, ‘I think we are done here for the time being’.

‘Yeah me too…’ I nodded.

‘When you are done, we should head down to the ranch and go horseback riding together! You ride well Gundham, but as a princess, I have much experience in all manners of equestrian related sports’, Sonia bragged.

‘I bid you farewell for the time being my Dark Queen’, Gundham bowed in her direction, ‘I greatly anticipate our next meeting!’

We waved Sonia off as we approached the next strange building on the island. This time it was an old fashioned American styled diner.

‘I really hope they serve mozzarella sticks in there’, I remarked as we opened the door, sitting inside were Chiaki and Mikan, sharing a large bowl of fries together. In the background a jukebox was playing an old timey track as they ate.

‘You ladies enjoying yourselves?’ asked Nekomaru.

‘I mean, I am afraid of what has been going on lately, but Chiaki has been great!’ Mikan’s face went pink, ‘We went swimming together. It was quite fun really, even though Chiaki stepped on a sea urchin’.

Chiaki indicated a bandaged foot, ‘Mikan was fantastic! Thankfully there was a drug store nearby and she was able to patch me up before it got too painful’.

‘So you don't have to pee on the wound then?’, Nekomaru scratched his head.

‘Oh no! Awkwardness aside, urine is not an effective solution. In fact, it can make the sting worse. Some of my patients attempted this method themselves’, Mikan stated, ‘It wasn’t pretty’.

‘Did you say there is a drug store here?’ I asked.

‘Of course! For someone in my profession, it was a treasure trove!’

‘Yeah I do remember her screaming when she saw it’, Chiaki chuckled, ‘Then again I did the same thing when I beat Dark Souls for the first time’.

‘I can’t imagine you screaming Chiaki, out of fear or delight…’, I raised an eyebrow.

‘That’s because I scream on the inside Hajime’.

‘I understand that feeling all too well’, Gundham stared out of the window.

We left the diner and it wasn’t long before we spotted the drugstore nearby. We stepped inside to see thousands of little bottles filled with various pills, solutions and ointments. Ibuki was there, looking up and down at them.

‘You doing drugs Ibuki?’ I teased her.

‘No! What are you talking about? Is it just because I play heavy metal music?’

‘It’s okay. I don’t blame anyone resorting to such things, especially in our current economy’.

‘But I’m not, I’m merely getting some painkillers. I think I played a bit too wildly at the party, and now the joints in my fingers are killing me!’

‘Damn, you should try out some little hand and wrist exercises outside of practice, it can really help to put less strain on the muscles’, Nekomaru advised her.

‘Thanks’, she smiled, ‘The pain started when I went to bed last night, I suppose the class trial overshadowed everything else so much that I didn’t notice it’.

‘Yeah the pain of sending your classmates to die does have that effect’, I bowed my head.

‘Seriously though this place is nuts’, Ibuki shook her head, ‘They have everything here, I’m pretty sure you cannot just buy some of this stuff from over the counter’.

‘You mean… they have poisonous solutions here too?’ 

‘Yeah. There’s a sign saying that they are restricted to medical students, but I feel the lock to that cabinet could be picked in skilled hands…’. She pointed towards a tightly sealed cabinet containing many bottles with a skull and crossbones sticker upon them.

‘Even outside of this fucked up situation, we were told in school to always keep an eye on your drink. You never know who is lurking in the shadows’, I told her.

‘Either way, we will keep an eye on Fuyuhiko’, Nekomaru reassured her, ‘As long as I’m around, I won’t let him bring harm to anyone on this island’. 

Gundham eyed the bottles curiously, ‘When you have made enemies, you can never be too careful’.

‘What kind of enemies have you made then Gundham? I mean, you aren’t part of a government or criminal organisation, are you?’ Ibuki tilted her head.

‘Ah, well... I have been quite vocal about the inbreeding of so-called 'purebreds'. Considering my position, many people in those circles didn’t take too kindly to that. It started off with death threats, which I just laughed off, but then I got a call from the police informing me that they had confiscated some letters addressed to me which turned out to contain poison’.

‘Jesus Christ! All because they want to breed animals that can’t even breathe properly?’ shouted Nekomaru. 

‘Tell me about it’, I sighed, ‘Back when I was still with my ex, she came up to me one day telling that her pug had to be euthanised at a young age. I tried to comfort her but couldn’t get her to stop crying all week’.

‘I always prioritise the health of the parents and consider what they may pass onto their offspring. I am against the idea that we should only be breeding animals for what are classified as ‘desirable’ traits. I utterly despise the view that animals only exist for the entertainment of humankind. If we are going to keep animals, we should do so in a way that doesn’t cause them unnecessary suffering’, Gundham spoke, watching his crows fly around in circles outside.

‘People can be so scary sometimes’, Ibuki sighed, ‘Thanks to my prominence in Black Cherry I ended up dating a rather prominent J Pop idol. In the short time in which we were in a relationship, several of his fans became very jealous. Of course, you had the ones who called me a slut and other childish insults but one time it became serious when one particularly rabid fangirl spiked my drink with mandrake. I had to be hospitalised, but I recovered, and that crazy bitch got her ass caught. It turned out that she had been stalking us both for a while’.

‘I guess that’s the celebrity lifestyle for you’, I said, ‘Glamourous yet also dangerous’.

‘Is that why you broke off the relationship?’ questioned Nekomaru.

‘Nah’, she shook her head, ‘we just drifted apart really. Also, during that time, we both kind of got the idea that I had other preferences, let’s say. He still follows me on twitter though!’

‘That’s nice of him’, I said before I doubled over, ‘Ow!’

‘What’s up Hajime?’ Nekomaru looked over at me.

‘Bad back, I must have slept funny or something…’

‘No worries, I know just the solution!’, he stretched out his hands and fingers.

‘There’s a beach house over there’, Ibuki pointed out of the window where we saw a small, cosy looking, wooden cottage looking over a blue lagoon, ‘That would be an ideal spot!’

‘Do you want to come along too Gundham?’ Nekomaru asked, ‘Working with large and dangerous animals must give you sore muscles I imagine!’

Gundham shook his head, ‘Maybe later, I don’t want to keep the Dark Queen waiting any longer. We haven’t had the opportunity to go on a proper date for a while’.

‘Sure thing’, Nekomaru waved, ‘Well let me know if you change your mind okay?’ Gundham bowed to us before summoning his crows over and heading back to the library to meet up with Sonia.

‘Catch you both later!’ Ibuki waved as Nekomaru and I walked towards the beach house. 

This particular stretch of coastline, located between two cliffs was very pretty. We opened the cottage door and stepped inside one of the small rooms where a wooden table was located. We closed the curtains and shut the door before Nekomaru tossed me one of the fluffy towels stacked in the corner.

‘Okay Hajime’, Nekomaru looked away, ‘Just take your clothes off and get yourself comfortable’.

‘Sure thing…’ I stripped off everything before I wrapped the towel around my waist and rested on the table as comfortably as I could, ‘Okay Nekomaru, give it all you’ve got!’

It felt awkward at first knowing that I was in the same room as him with only a towel on, but once Nekomaru worked his magic I was much more relaxed. While his massaging technique seemed rough at first, after a while it felt strangely soothing.

‘How is that Hajime?’ Nekomaru asked, ‘Is your back still hurting?’

‘It’s not so bad now’, I said as I felt his fingers knead my back, ‘Oh yes! This is really good actually!’

‘You like it do ya? Many of my clients are also individuals who I train, they say it really helps them. I’m glad you appreciate it too Hajime. You are my first client in a while!’

‘Damn really?’

‘Since you have been so great, when we get off this island, I will offer you massages for a reduced price. I would give them to you for free, but I have fallen on rough times lately…’

‘Oh no, what happened?’

‘Ever since I was in High School, I have been having heart problems. The worst incident occurred when I was fifteen, everyone thought I was going to die’.

‘Shit dude… I’m so sorry!’

‘Even when I recovered, I was not expected to live for much longer than two years at first. Miraculously however, the treatment worked wonders and my life expectancy has increased’, he laughed feebly, ‘I still don’t have all that long compared to you guys but I believe it is important to make the most of your life, no matter how short it is. That is what inspired my talent!’

‘Well it’s good that you got something positive out of your experience, it’s all you can do really’, I yawned. I was so relaxed that I was beginning to drift off.

‘It’s not all good news however’, Nekomaru sighed, ‘I had my sickness benefits taken away soon after the recession started, so I have to rely on my job to pay the bills now’.

‘That’s horrible!’

‘I know’, he exhaled, ‘Families like the Togamis are allowed to sit on piles of money, while the rest of us are forced to fend for ourselves in order to survive’.

'Yeah, it's no surprise why so many on relying on crime to survive now. The authorities are so unbelievably out of touch...' 

About an hour later, when Nekomaru was done and the pain in my back was mostly gone, we could hear two familiar noises outside.

‘Hey what’s going on?’ Nekomaru frowned as I changed back into my clothes.

‘Let’s check it out’, I said as we stepped out onto the beach. Once again, we came across Tora and Akane wrestling on the beach, sand being tossed in the air all around them.

‘That’s my girl!’ Nekomaru yelled as the two girls continued to scrap it out. Despite Nekomaru’s encouragement however Akane once again was knocked to the ground.

‘Looks like you still have some way to go huh?’ Tora helped her up.

‘I will beat you one day, I will’, Akane coughed as she spluttered out some sand.

‘Hey boys’, Tora came up to us, ‘Hajime it looks like you’ve crashed again, do you need some water?’

‘Nah’, Nekomaru laughed, ‘He just got a little sleepy after I gave him one of my massages’.

‘Aw that’s adorable’, she laughed as I rolled my eyes in embarrassment, ‘Anyway I need to take a shower, I will see you back at the lodge!’

She entered the beach house and the two of us approached Akane who was sitting on the sand.

‘You okay pal?’ Nekomaru sat down beside her.

‘I guess…’ she sighed, ‘Maybe Tora is right, perhaps I did dive in too deeply. Maybe my fighting skills are not quite up to scratch after all’.

‘You just need more practice that’s all, practice makes perfect remember? We can train again first thing tomorrow!’

‘Thanks coach Nekomaru’, they both stood up. The three of us were about to make our way to the lodge when we heard a voice from behind us.

‘I might as well tag along with you guys, I was just packing up’, we saw Peko emerge from a smaller door at the back of the cottage, ‘I swam a whole lap around this island’.

‘Shit… you’re a woman of steel Peko!’ Nekomaru gasped but Peko was facing Akane.

‘Do you want to hang out together after we have eaten?’ she asked her.

‘Me? Really? But aren’t you dating Tora? Besides I lost!’ Akane bowed her head.

‘That was only for the party, besides it was never going to be a long-term thing. If we both make it to the mainland, we do have jobs to go back to’, Peko looked towards the horizon, 'Neither of us really have time for commitment'.

‘So, it was just like… a fling then?’

‘I suppose so. The point is, we are free to hang out if you wish’.

‘I see, well I guess… yeah, why the hell not?’ Akane whooped for joy as the rest of us laughed.

When we returned to the lodge we chowed down on some ramen before I headed to the lounge where Chiaki and Mikan were once again situated, the former still with a bandaged foot.

‘Hey Chiaki’, I plopped myself on one of the sofas, ‘Has Nagito had something to eat?’

‘Yup’, she nodded, ‘Nekomaru gave me his keys shortly after arriving. He’s just fine, he was pretty much the same as this morning, chill as ever’.

‘I don’t know whether I am relieved or more scared than I was at the class trial…’

‘I wouldn’t worry about it, there are better things to be concerned about if you ask me’.

‘Yeah I suppose you are right…’ I thought of Akane’s vengefulness, Gundham clutching at his arm earlier, the cabinet full of poisons and the peculiar ruin on the second island.

‘Good evening’, to my surprise Gundham stepped into the room.

‘Hey Gundham, did you and Sonia have a good ride together?’

‘Sonia wants to invite you to join us for a riding session tomorrow’, he told me.

‘Wow really, but I’ve never ridden a horse before... what if I break my neck or something?’ 

‘Don’t worry, it’s easy to get the hang of it. Anyway Hajime, I wish to ask you something…’ Gundham got up and gestured for me to follow him. He led me to my bedroom door. He turned his head over his shoulders to make sure nobody was listening in, ‘Sonia told me I could join you tonight’.

My heart skipped a beat, ‘Wow, seriously?’

Gundham nodded, ‘I have to feed my birds first, then I will meet up with you in this spot’.

‘Sure thing, take your time’, I told him as my heart rate increased again, ‘See you shortly!’


	7. Part 2: Murder at Twilight, Day 2 Normal Campus Life

After he put away his crows for the night, Gundham reached out and gripped my hand tightly.

‘Well this is my room, what do you think?’ I asked him as we walked in, hand in hand. 

‘It’s good enough’, he nodded as he perched himself on the end of my bed.

‘Will I ever get to see your room Gundham?’

‘No!’ he held out a hand, ‘I mean… it’s a complete mess. Also, I swear a demonic entity is living in my mirror…’ he laughed nervously, ‘Either way it would do a mere mortal like yourself no good!’

‘Well there is the idea of mirrors leading to alternate dimensions’, I said as I looked into my own mirror, ‘So you may not be far from the truth for all we know…’ 

‘I like the way you think Hajime, even if you are a mere mortal’, Gundham purred as he gently stroked my cheek. Once again, it felt as though his simple touch had a magical binding energy about it. 

Almost instinctively I slowly reached out to stroke his cheek. To my relief he didn’t flinch as I ran the back of my hand down the side of his face, which was surprisingly warm and soft. His working eye drooped slightly as he slowly wrapped his arms around me.

‘Are you feeling relaxed Gundham?’ I asked when my body pressed against his. A strange sensation filled my body as our chests touched, and I could feel his racing heart against mine, ‘You trust me, right?’

‘Why would I show up if I didn’t?’, he spoke softly before our lips met and we collapsed on the bed. My eyes widened as I stared up at the ceiling and he moved his lips towards my neck and kissed it before taking a gentle bite.

When I woke up the next morning I looked over to see Gundham lying on his back, toying with something shiny in his fingers. He had worn a tank top to bed, and I was once again able to see the numerous scars criss-crossing his body.

‘You weren’t planning on stabbing me with that thing, were you?’ I joked as I sat up.

‘Hajime?!’ the knife almost slipped from Gundham’s grip as he was startled.

‘Don’t worry, I’m just pulling your leg’, I laughed as I sat up, ‘Did you sleep well?’

‘Well enough…’ his face relaxed as he placed the blade on the bedside cabinet, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just like having it at my side, it’s comforting to me’.

‘Whatever floats your boat I suppose’, I stretched as I stared at it, intrigued, ‘But still, it’s a rather peculiar item to use for comfort is it not?’

‘It binds me to my craft’, Gundham explained, ‘since I use it to slice food for my birds, it signifies my connection between humanity and nature’.

‘It’s certainly an interesting way to interpret such things’, I told him as we stared into each other’s eyes. I felt a small chill go up my spine however. I wanted to believe it was just me overthinking, but I couldn't help but remember the way he had acted yesterday in the library.

‘What’s the matter Hajime?’ Clearly I did a poor job masking my worries as Gundham's eyes narrowed.

‘Nothing’, I laughed weakly, ‘I just want to make sure you are okay’.

‘In that aspect you remind of the Dark Queen. As much as I admire her, she worries too much’.

‘We just want to look out for you’, I told him, ‘Isn’t that what relationships are all about?’

‘There is nothing wrong with me I assure you’, he quickly dismissed me, ‘And even if there was, I am perfectly capable of sorting out my own problems. Forget it’.

‘I just want to help’, I pleaded, ‘And Sonia does too! Isn’t that more important than ever in our current situation? I don’t know what it is exactly, but I know something is up Gundham. I just want you to know that I am on your side with whatever you are going through’.

‘Seriously Hajime I’m fine!’, Gundham snapped, ‘I’ve been bitten, mauled, stung, poisoned, trampled, gored and fallen victim to countless exotic illnesses for fuck’s sake! This is nothing! Forget it already!’

‘Gundham…’ I trailed off as he clutched his head in frustration.

Seconds later he let out a deep sigh, and though he tried to hide it, I could tell his eyes were watering again, ‘My apologies Hajime...' 

'Don't worry about it', I gave him a gentle hug, which he shakily returned, 'We will get through this together, yeah?' 

Gundham smiled weakly before sitting up, 'Forgive me Hajime, I must attend to my menagerie’, he got changed and bowed before he simply uttered, ‘I appreciated your company tonight’.

‘Why oh why did I have to open my big mouth?!’, I thought as I got changed myself and stepped out of my room. As I was about to head downstairs however, I saw Chiaki carrying platters of food.

‘Thank goodness you are here Hajime’, to my dismay she handed me the tray as well as Nagito’s room key, ‘I was looking for you. I had to put up with Nagito’s bullshit yesterday, so I think it’s time that you take on this duty for a change. Also, between you and me, I think you are the least likely to cause him harm. The other Ultimates are still sharing a grudge, understandably so... but I really don’t want more friends to die in Monokuma’s paws’.

‘Fine, fine…’, I sighed, ‘I’ll do it…’

‘I will stand outside in case he tries to make a run for it’.

‘Are you sure you can handle him?’ I looked at her bewildered.

‘I have my methods’, she yawned as I slowly approached Nagito’s door and knocked.

‘Well what are you waiting for? Come in, come in!’ a disturbingly jovial voice came through the buzzer, ‘I have so many things we can talk about!’

‘Frankly I’m not feeling too chatty today’, I uttered as I turned the key and opened the door, I put the tray down on his bedside table, ‘I just wanted to give you breakfast, nothing else’.

‘Oh Hajime, you are so kind’, Nagito who was lying on his side and staring out of the window, rolled over to face me, ‘The other Ultimates, except for Chiaki would most likely lace my food with poison or smother me with a pillow. I wouldn’t blame them if they did’.

‘Just eat Nagito’, I proceeded to leave, ‘I’ve got better things to do than listen to your crap’.

‘Wait one moment Hajime’, he smiled softly, ‘I may be in this unfortunate predicament, but you have not seen the last of me. I have so much more to offer. Hell, I may even become an asset to you one day, my luck has never failed me’.

‘If you used your luck for good then maybe we will consider it, but right now, none of us see a good reason as to why we should let you roam free on this island’.

‘I don’t intend to cause trouble; I only wish to speed up the inevitable! What will come, will come and the path of hope will reveal the truth behind our situation eventually. While the rest of you go along with this killing game, I am willing to stop it, by whatever means necessary’.

‘Then maybe don’t use your luck to cook up murder schemes next time’.

‘Hajime, I’m only trying to be reasonable here!’

‘Reasonable?!’ I laughed, ‘Don’t make me gag! And no, we are not submitting to that furry fucker’s whims. We are sticking together and making friends, isn’t that the opposite of what he wants?’

‘You really have no idea, do you?’ Nagito grinned widely, ‘I feel this situation is a lot more complicated than what you make of it and one day, I will find out for myself!’

‘Yeah… right…’, I took a step out of the door, ‘anyway, goodbye for now Nagito’.

‘Goodbye Hajime! Remember what I said!’

‘Whatever…’ I finally bolted the door behind me before I slumped against the wall.

‘Hajime?’ Chiaki knelt beside me, ‘Are you okay?’

‘Yeah, yeah…’ I sighed, ‘What else could I have expected from him really?’

‘Oh my God what happened to you?’ I noticed she was pointing at my neck, ‘Nagito was right!’

‘What? This?!’ I pointed at a red mark on my neck embarrassed that I forgot to cover it up, ‘Yes…’, I uttered sarcastically, ‘You should probably only start worrying when blood gives me the munchies though…’ I laughed slightly, ‘But yeah maybe Nagito is right sometimes, even if he is a bit of a basket case….’

‘Well they often say the most intelligent people on this earth are the craziest!’

‘You’re a genius Chiaki yet I don’t think you’re crazy’.

‘You really don’t know me Hajime...' 

After I grabbed myself a necktie from my room, Chiaki and I headed downstairs for breakfast. Just as everyone was settling down however, that horrible sound ran through our ears once again. We all sat there frozen as the hellish trumpets echoed over the island.

‘Oh, come on!’ groaned Akane.

‘What could he possibly want this time?’ Ibuki yawned as we got up to walk towards the garden.

‘I hope it’s nothing too sinister whatever it is’, Mikan gulped.

‘Me too’, Mahiru replied as we gathered around.

Behind the dragon statue we noticed what seemed to be a giant arcade cabinet. The bear sitting beside it, the trembling rabbit at his side.

‘Well, what do you think?’ the bear grinned, leaning upon it.

‘I think you need to get your ass out of the past’, smirked Hiyoko.

‘Yeah’, Ibuki frowned, ‘I’m pretty sure arcade machines were a thing of the 70’s’.

‘Hey don’t diss retro games!’ Chiaki raised a finger, ‘While they may not seem like good quality now, back then they were revolutionary and made a mark on gaming history!’

‘Please, stop with the arguing, do you want this evil fiend to get the upper hand?’, Monomi begged before Monokuma swiped her with his massive paw.

‘Perhaps you will end up killing each other over video game discourse? I’m disappointed that it hasn’t happened more often… you know, with all the console wars and fake outrage, etc…’

‘Tell me about it…’ uttered Chiaki.

‘Still I will leave my new motive outside for you in case any of you are interested in playing. It is the only one of its kind you know! Video game collectors will be dying to get their hands on this one’.

‘I dunno’, Chiaki looked up and down, ‘It doesn’t look very authentic if you ask me. It resembles one of those cheap machines you get at a carnival’.

‘Wait… the game in this arcade cabinet is our motive?’ I frowned.

‘Correct! You see little cubs, this isn’t just any game. This is based on a true story, a story which occurred during your time at Hope’s Peak University in fact!’

‘So, does that mean some of us will be in the game?’ questioned Mikan nervously.

‘That’s for you to figure out! If I gave away details of your past so easily, it wouldn’t be fun now will it?’ he held out a paw, ‘Anyway, see you later little cubs, happy playing!’ Monokuma laughed out loud before he and Monomi disappeared, leaving the arcade machine behind him.

‘Peculiar, very peculiar indeed’, Gundham paced around it, ‘But how could a mere arcade cabinet cause someone to commit the terrible act of murder?’

‘Maybe it’s one of those haunted games, like Polybius!’ Ibuki gasped, ‘We should check it out!’

‘Well, you only live once!’ shrugged Nagito, but before either of them could reach the cabinet Nekomaru pushed them back, 

‘Hey what was that for?’ Ibuki protested.

‘This demon is responsible for the death of two friends!’ Nekomaru reminded them, ‘For all we know that game could legitimately put a curse on us, with Monokuma being a demon and all…’ he glared towards Nagito in an unusually cold manner, 'And I especially don't trust you'.

'Fair enough', he shrugged. 

‘It could hypnotise us or make us so addicted that we play to death!’ Mikan gasped.

‘Or he could have planted a bomb inside it’, Hiyoko suggested.

‘I don’t think this game does either of those things...’, Chiaki said, ‘despite how suspicious it looks. Still, there is something that greatly unsettles me about it’.

‘Yeah it’s giving me the goosebumps too’, Tora agreed.

‘Even if it does depict events of our past, is it really worth it?’ Sonia tilted her head, ‘For all we know, something truly awful could have occurred’, she clutched her hands to her mouth, ‘Oh God, I hope I was not a part of a terrible scandal or something, the recession has soured my reputation enough!’

‘The Dark Queen is wise. Some things in this world are best left alone’, Gundham uttered.

‘And for all we know, Monokuma could be lying or fabricating the events!’

‘Either way, whether or not this game does contain information about our past lives, if we just don’t touch it, well… no one will have a reason to commit murder, right?’ Nekomaru said.

‘Indeed’, Fuyuhiko spoke in a soft, yet somewhat chilling voice, ‘It would be such a shame to waste precious lives on such a piece of junk don’t you think?’

‘I know you are up to something Fuyuhiko’, Akane stood over him.

‘Now, now Akane’, he smiled, ‘Just because you have a bit of a grudge against me, you cannot simply go around pointing fingers, especially for crimes I haven’t even committed…’

‘Well I’m gonna keep my eye on you all the same. Considering the way you snakes act on the mainland, why should I not be any less suspicious here?’

Fuyuhiko laughed under his breath, ‘How are we going to survive if you are stirring up distrust among us? Here I am, minding my own business, yet you wish to sow discourse over something that happened a long time ago? What does that say about you Akane?’

‘I don’t want any trouble; I just don’t want you hurting anybody else!’ she rose her fists, ‘And even though I may have grown up in a shithole, at least I have a shred of dignity left, unlike you!’

‘You remind of me of your brother Akane. Like you, he had a lot of brawn but very little brain to match. If you are not careful you may end up meeting the same sticky end as he did’.

‘That’s it you little shit!’, like an angry cat, Akane prepared to lunge at him but Nekomaru held her back.

‘Come on guys!’ Mahiru stood between them, ‘Fighting won’t get us anywhere here!’

‘She’s right. Let’s just go’, I sighed, ‘We won’t solve anything by sticking around’.

‘Yep’, Chiaki agreed, ‘let’s head back to the lodge’.

We made a procession back to the lodge, Nekomaru tightly gripping Nagito's shoulder, looking dangerously close to crushing it. I looked back at the odd machine one more time. While I had a bad feeling about it, I was curious, nonetheless. If I played this game, would it finally reveal to me my true talent? 

After we ate breakfast in relative silence, I decided to make my way back to the second isle. The small lagoon looked particularly welcoming under the sparkling sun, so much so that I almost forget that the demonic bear had appeared to us little more than an hour earlier.

Not being able to resist any longer, I decided to take the opportunity to swim. I dashed back to the lodge, grabbing my flowery beach towel as well as my swimming shorts with a similar pattern and returned to the beach house where I changed. Feeling a rush of energy, I decided to take a running jump into the water.

Unfortunately, I was caught between a large wave so instead of sticking the landing gracefully, I was a coughing and spluttering mess. I could hear laughing, blinking away the sea water from my stinging eyes I managed to catch a glimpse of Akane and Nekomaru waving and hollering in my direction.

‘Has Poseidon decided to fuck with you today?’ Nekomaru snorted.

‘The sea sure does pack a punch!’ Akane laughed.

Recomposing myself I began to swim around and around the body of water while Nekomaru and Akane wrestled on the beach. I began to relax again, and it was the first time I was able to properly appreciate the deep blue that surrounded us. After some basking in the water I decided to swim back to the shore. Despite being knocked down multiple times, Akane would always get up again, even more determined than the last attempt. I went into the beach house to pull on some dry clothes before stepping out again.

‘Hey, are you guys occupied?’ looking over I caught sight of Peko, holding a surfboard.

‘It’s okay, we are just packing up’, Akane told her.

‘I think I will leave you both to it’, Nekomaru bowed his head, ‘Great training session once again pal!’

‘Don’t mention it!’ Akane bowed back before the two girls sat on the sand together and engaged in hearty conversation. Looking back, I saw Peko resting her head on Akane’s shoulder.

I headed back to the lodge. On the way there however, I spotted none other than Fuyuhiko peering nervously over his shoulders. In his arms was a large envelope, looking closer I noticed that the seal was that horrible chibi Monokuma face we had grown familiar with.

‘Hey Fuyuhiko’, I cleared my throat. When he looked up at me, he once again had the look of a venomous snake, scared, yet poised to strike, ‘Just minding my own business, nothing more’.

Apparently sensing my nervousness, he spoke, ‘I see, just stay outta my way’.

‘What is that you are carrying if you don't mind me asking?’ 

‘What about it?’

‘I dunno, I just wonder where you got it from that’s all’, I shrugged.

‘You would do well to stay out of my family’s business’, he growled.

‘Hey!’ I held out my hands, ‘I’m not part of a rival gang or anything, I can’t imagine a normal sod like me would be a threat to your family. I’m only curious!’

‘Don’t try me Hajime’, Fuyuhiko walked briskly towards the lodge. Just as I was about to head there myself something clicked, what was with the weird Monokuma seal?

‘It can’t be…’ I murmured under my breath as I instead made a beeline to the garish arcade machine. What was there for me to lose really? Fuyuhiko had not been cursed or killed just through playing this game after all. But what was the strange prize he was holding?

I pressed the big red button on the control panel and almost instantaneously the screen flashed up and the title, ‘Twilight Syndrome Murder Case’ appeared. Before the game began there was an unsettling disclaimer.

‘Many people were harmed in the making of this game’. Hoping it was just a sick joke, the next title card came into focus with the words, ‘Day 2’.

Slightly confused by this, I saw what looked like a typical visual novel game. Huddled in a group were five big eyed girls, each with brightly coloured hair. I rolled my eyes as I became used to the clearly low budget anime style and proceeded to click through the dialogue.

‘Hiyori stop jumping out at me like that!’, a timid girl with dark purple hair called Misaki cried out.

‘Oh, Misaki you are such a wuss!’ the snarky yellow haired girl named Hiyori giggled.

‘Come on Hiyori knock it off’, a blue haired girl with the name of Satoko scoffed.

‘Guys… haven’t we got morning classes to attend to?’ a flame haired girl named Mariko frowned.

‘Yeah let’s go, time is of the essence’, a hyperactive hot pink haired girl called Isamu cheered.

Another black screen with text appeared reading ‘Ten minutes later’ before resuming.

‘I don’t know if it’s worth it’, Isamu shrugged, ‘The lecturer has buggered off again it seems’.

‘As much as I hate to agree, I think you are right’, sighed Mariko, ‘Everyone is just messing around in there, I think we will get more out of it if we just hold a study session together in my room’.

‘You really think I’m going to waste my time studying, when I could be practicing? My guitar playing skills is my lifestyle, not algebra’, Isamu protested.

‘Your suggestions are great and all Mariko’, yawned Hiyori, ‘but I think I’m just going to kick back and play some video games, my Cyber Ponies need me!’

‘I wish you treated me as nicely as you treat your Cyber Ponies’, Misaki spoke glumly.

‘At least they aren’t a waste of space like you Misaki!’

‘Come on let’s just go to class, we can just talk if you wish’, Satoko insisted.

‘Nah I won’t be able to concentrate with this racket, I’m going to study in my room’, Mariko said.

‘Yeah let’s go already, we aren’t missing out on anything’, agreed Hiyori.

‘Why don’t we head down to the music room’, suggested Isamu, ‘I need feedback from a general audience, it isn’t long until my next concert appearance’.

‘I suppose there is no harm in that, the music room is usually empty at this time’, Misaki nodded.

‘Looks like my Cyber Ponies will have to wait huh?’ groaned Hiyori.

‘Come on!’ pleaded Isamu, ‘It will be so much fun I can assure you!’

‘Fine! Fine!’ scoffed Hiyori before game cut to a door reading ‘Music Room’.

‘Jesus Christ what is that smell?!’ Satoko covered her nose.

‘Yeah, it’s like something metallic’, Isamu frowned, ‘We are totally checking this out!’

‘I hope it’s not what I think it is, but it’s a smell I’m all too familiar with’, Misaki sniffed the air.

‘I have a bad feeling about it, whatever it is’, Mariko threw caution to the wind.

‘What are you all, chicken?’ Hiyori did an impression of such an animal.

‘Come on!’ Isamu laughed opening the door, ‘It’s not like someone was murdered or anything!’

I jumped back as the chipper music and corny tone of the game took a complete and unpleasant U turn. Recovering from the shock of the jump scare I stared at the screen dumbfounded. Before my eyes I saw a piano, splattered with what appeared to be blood and brain matter. Looking closer I saw the source of it all, a girl seated in the piano stool, her head crushed by the heavy piano lid.

‘What the Hell… it can’t be!’ Satoko clapped a hand to her mouth.

‘We should call first aid, right now!’ Isamu’s joyful face suddenly went pale. 

‘It’s too late for that’, Mariko teared up, ‘she really is gone…’

‘I think I’m going to throw up!’ Misaki choked back vomit.

‘Oh come on Misaki, aren’t you used to that kind of stuff?’ Hiyori commented, but even she looked horrified by the gruesome scene before her.

‘Not like this…’ she whimpered.

‘Natsuki? I mean, we didn’t exactly get along, but she doesn’t deserve this’, Satoko bowed her head.

‘From what I can see, the victim perished from blunt force trauma’, Misaki commented, ‘Natsuki often came down here at night to practice on the piano. It’s a shame, she seemed so talented from what I got to see of her performances. Someone must have snuck down and…’

‘Splat!’ Hiyori made a cutting motion with her hand, ‘Wicked!’

‘Hiyori, show some decency please!’ Mariko begged.

‘I’m not trying to disrespect the victim or anything, I’m just describing how it all went down. Isn’t it’s what a good detective is supposed to do?’ 

‘Thanks to my work experience, corpses are practically a work bench for me now’, Misaki snapped, ‘But even I have better taste than you Hiyori. As the three girls argued Satoko cut them off.

‘Guys, I don’t think we should be sticking around here. What if a member of staff catches us? We will be seen as primary suspects for sure’.

‘Yeah’, Mariko said, ‘Even just by standing here, we could be spreading our DNA all over the place, come on let’s just go. Security will find the body eventually and then we will not have to be a part of all this. Considering Natsuki’s relations, it is more than just police involvement I am concerned about’.

Ignoring her, Hiyori continued to observe the crime scene, ‘How did they do it though. How did the killer manage to crush her skull in with a piano without waking up the entire university?!’ 

‘The room was purposefully made soundproof when it was built so it didn’t interrupt neighboring classes’, Isamu told the others, ‘It was during a time when people still thought that rock and roll was the devil’s music. Imagine the look on their faces when metal came along!’

‘I wonder why the killer did it this way though, was it to make a statement of some kind?’ Mariko questioned.

‘You know Natsuki’s family, right? Ever since the start of the gang war, her family has made a lot of enemies’, Satoko shook her head, ‘Everyone knows deep down the family has associates that roam the University. It isn’t far-fetched to believe that associates of rival families also walk these halls’.

‘So, you reckon the murderer was someone from a rival group?’ gasped Isamu.

‘That seems to be the most likely explanation, although we cannot be certain for sure’.

‘Whatever the case, the killer should probably be nervous right now, the clan is well known for carrying out retributions on those who try to mess with them’, Mariko shuddered, 

‘Seeing as one of their number was killed in cold blood, I fear Natsuki’s brother will stop at nothing to get revenge, whether he does it himself or gets one of his lackeys to carry out the deed’.

‘Yeah the two of them were really close’, Misaki swallowed, ‘He’s going to be pissed’.

‘That’s why we should go’, Satoko indicated the door, ‘We could be in big trouble when he and his cronies find out, especially as Natsuki was propped up as the clan’s heir for so many years’.

‘Yes, let’s get out of here’, Mariko agreed, ‘You heard about the atrocities and bloodshed his family has been linked to, if he finds out we were here then we could be in very real danger’.

‘Come on, hurry!’ Satoko cried out and the brightly coloured girls dashed out of the room. 

The screen cut to black yet again and more text came up reading, ‘Day 4’. Once again the game returned to its normal happy-go-lucky tone.

‘Hey, have any of you guys seen Satoko?’ Isamu cocked her head.

‘Relax, she probably just has her head shoved up a book’, Hiyori chortled.

‘I dunno Hiyori’, gulped Misaki, ‘Satoko doesn't usually skip dinner’.

‘Yeah it’s weird’, agreed Mariko, ‘She is usually the first to show up to anything’.

‘At least we can finally go back to my dorm’, yawned Hiyori, ‘Seriously who the hell decided to set the fire alarm bells off at this time? It had to be some kind of sick prank, surely?’

‘Apparently some asshole threw a smoke grenade in the gymnasium’, Isamu shrugged, ‘It was probably just someone messing around but how did they do it without getting caught by security?’

‘I hope the perpetrator does get caught, I was so close to defeating the Golden Griffin in Cyber Ponies Adventures!’ Hiyori sulked as they proceeded to head back to the dorms.

At that moment however a new character suddenly appeared, sweating and shaking.

‘Hey there Akari, what’s up?’ Isamu perked her head up.

‘It’s terrible, I legit thought I was having a nightmare or something’, the brown-haired girl panted.

‘Tell us what happened, from the beginning’, Mariko told her.

‘How do I explain it… after we were allowed back inside the building, I thought I might as well begin my evening workout. So, I headed up the gym as I usually do and I when I stepped inside, I saw…’

‘What, what did you see?’ asked Hiyori curiously.

‘I… think it will be better if I showed you’, she beckoned the girls to follow her and the screen turned black. At first only white text appeared as Akari gave her description, ‘She was laying there sprawled out, a lot of blood was gushing from her head. I tried to check her pulse knowing deep down I was too late… well… here she is I suppose….’

Once again, the tone of the game of the game dramatically changed as expected. A girl lay on the floor, her eyes wide open, staring blankly into nothingness, her skull caved in. To the side of the body was the murder weapon of choice, a dumbbell that was caked in the victim’s blood.

As the screenshot of Satoko’s body faded to black, the words ‘Game Over (Down Five)’ appeared while the sound of what seemed to be raspy breathing could be heard in the background. When the game returned to the title screen, I sat frozen in my seat, a feeling of dread washing over me.

Forcing myself out of the seat dozens of theories coursed through my mind by the time I crashed in a seat at the lodge patio.. The personalities of the brightly coloured anime girls were undoubtedly similar to certain residents on this island, but could something so horrific really have occurred at such a prodigious university? Maybe the game had the ability to jolt the memories of those involved, perhaps the bear was right after all. What’s more, what was that strange folder Fuyuhiko was holding?

‘Hey Hajime!’ I saw Sonia run up to me, ‘Gundham and I are saddling up, are you ready to ride?’

‘Yeah I suppose I am’, I grinned. I had completely forgotten that we were supposed to meet up this evening. For the time being I decided to put the accursed game back in my mind as the two of us trekked towards the ranch where three majestic horses were standing there, decked out.

‘It’s about time Hajime!’ Gundham mounted the black steed which I saw him ride before, his crows perched on a nearby fence, cleaning their feathers, ‘We both thought you had vanished off the face of the earth!’

‘Sorry about that’, I laughed nervously as Sonia helped me onto a chestnut mare, ‘I must have drifted off or something!’ Once I was in the saddle, I felt a sense of grandeur, even though I was nervous being at the mercy of a large animal with a mind of her own.

‘Don’t worry darling’, Sonia reassured me as she jumped onto the remaining horse, a snow-white steed, ‘As long as you don’t pull the reins too hard you should be just fine’.

When the three of us rode out of the ranch we could see that the sun was beginning to set. I watched Sonia and Gundham slowly encourage their steeds to gallop. Following their example, I gradually managed to get my steed to run after them. As we dashed through the meadows, our steeds kicked up leaves and flowers as they ran in the twilight, Gundham’s crows cawing loudly as they flew above. The only thing that disturbed the moment was the volcano, casting a black shadow over the patch of ocean it resided in. I couldn’t help but whoop for joy out loud when we rode over the bridge and onto the other side. We continued to ride until Sonia and Gundham decided to park their steeds next to the diner. 

Outside we saw Fuyuhiko, leaning against the diner sign, beer bottle in hand. Looking closer we saw that he was tapping his thigh, staring off into the distance. Upon seeing us he merely gave us an angry glare before he somewhat tipsily headed back to the bridge. 

After tethering our steeds, the three of us went to the diner where we decided to share a large sundae amongst ourselves. Gundham even prepared a small dish of peanuts for his birds which they ate with much gratitude. At the back of my mind however, I questioned Fuyuhiko’s strange behavior, especially after the way he had dismissed me earlier.

By the time we had finished, we were so full that there was no room for dinner and worse still, the brain freeze had started to kick in. While Sonia and I clutched our heads in agony, Gundham seemed immune somehow and stared out of the window while his birds squabbled for scraps. 

‘Well one thing is for sure, you normal folk definitely have bigger portions. Not that I mind of course, I like being able to just stuff my face and not have to worry about etiquette’, Sonia smiled despite her pain, ‘I can’t eat like this every day though, otherwise my corset won’t fit!’

‘Do not fret about it my Dark Queen Gundham’, reassured her, ‘you will always be beautiful to me, no matter what path you decide to go down’.

‘Oh Gundham! You are too sweet!’ the two of them kissed each other on the lips.

‘Yeah princess’, I told her, ‘So long as you do your duty well, image shouldn’t matter!’

‘Oh Hajime’, Sonia giggled, ‘Gundham told me you had a good night together’.

‘Umm… yeah we did’, I nodded, trying to forget about our argument this morning. One thing was for certain though, I was optimistic that this moment between the three of us would help him cope better with whatever he was going through. Everything was going so well after all. Little did I know at the time however, that our hope would be once again dashed later that evening.

‘Hey who’s that running over there?’ Sonia perked her head up.

‘It’s Hiyoko’, I squinted my eyes, ‘She looks kind of distressed too’.

‘Someone probably gave her a taste of her own medicine’, Gundham snickered as he lit up a cigarette.

We continued to watch the sun setting when we saw a small group of girls approaching us consisting of Akane, Tora, Ibuki and Chiaki. The four of them greeted us as they sat at a nearby table.

‘Hey girls’, I waved, ‘What were you up to?’

‘The tide was out’, Tora explained, ‘so we decided to do some exploring and we found a cave. After some spelunking we decided to light up a fire in there and have ourselves a cave party!’

‘Then we had a competition to see who could tell the scariest story!’ Akane beamed, ‘I think Ibuki won. Her story was about the ghosts of a J Pop group who drove their vehicle off a cliff, and today lure unsuspecting travellers to their deaths’.

‘To be honest I think that is the least scary thing when it comes to the J Pop industry…’ I frowned.

‘I dunno Akane’, Ibuki shook her head, ‘Mine was okay, but Chiaki’s story about the dating game that messes up your computer and kills the rival girls by deleting them was pretty freaky if you ask me!’

‘I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that one before…’

‘Then there was Tora’s story about the car which kills anyone who drives in it’, Chiaki explained.

‘Heard that one too…’

‘Go on then!’ Akane put her hands on her hips, ‘I would like to see you tell a scary story Hajime!’

‘Everyone’s a critic!’, shrugged Chiaki.

‘Well… I’m working on it’, I flicked my eyes towards the window, ‘Hey, did any of you see Hiyoko running away from the beach? She looked upset about something’.

‘Yeah I saw her alright’, Tora said, ‘We only caught a glimpse of her though’.

‘She was running as fast as a jackrabbit!’ Akane exclaimed.

‘Do you think something happened?’ Sonia asked, concerned.

‘We saw her coming out of the beach house’, Ibuki told us, ‘That’s all I know I’m afraid’.

At that moment however we saw Peko come in, wearing a wet suit, exhausted and her hair damp, ‘Hey guys’, she made a beeline towards the fridge and cracked open a can of soda.

‘Where have you been Peko?’ Ibuki tilted her head.

‘You said you were surfing around the island, right?’ Akane asked her, ‘Pretty impressive!’

‘Yeah’, Peko rubbed her hair with a towel, ‘That’s what I was doing, it was the first time I have been given the opportunity to appreciate the sea in a while. Having the wind and sea spray going through your hair is the most wonderful feeling!’

‘Did you catch any big ones?’ Akane winked in my direction and I cringed in embarrassment.

‘A few’, she explained, ‘Further out I caught some waves that were an impressive size’.

‘Cool!’ grinned Tora.

‘I’ve been practicing body boarding’, Akane told her, ‘Maybe we could take the surfboards out together some time. Next morning perhaps?’

‘Sure, thing Akane’, Peko blinked in her direction, ‘I will take you around the island myself!’

As Akane squealed for joy, Tora stood up, ‘Shit! I left my jacket in the beach house!’

‘Can you collect it in the morning?’ asked Chiaki.

‘Not really, it's pretty expensive so I don't want to risk leaving it. Besides, we can all walk down to the beach together!’ 

‘I don’t see what’s wrong with that’, shrugged Sonia as we all stepped out of the diner. Sonia, Gundham and I mounted our steeds once again while the others trekked forward.

‘Fancy a race?’ Sonia winked in mine and Gundham’s direction as she encouraged her steed to run towards the ocean, much to the gasps of the other girls.

‘I dunno I like driving better’, Tora shrugged.

‘Run like Hell!’ Gundham yelled as he quickly followed suit, his crows soaring in the sky.

‘Oh no you don’t!’ I called from behind as I pursued them. 

When we finally approached the sea, Gundham and Sonia beating me easily, we jumped down. Gundham tended to horses while Sonia and I waited for the others who appeared over the horizon. 

‘I shouldn’t be long’, Tora said as she opened the door, as she did so however she stumbled back, ‘Oh my God…’ she doubled over, looking close to vomiting.

‘Tora what’s wrong?’ Peko asked, comforting her.

‘Oh no, not again!’ Akane gasped.

I didn’t want see what horrors awaited me in the house, but it was as though some invisible force was pushing me to do so. Peering inside, I saw the still body of Mahiru, slumped against a door, her camera still dangling around her neck and a small trail of blood trickling from her lips. Worst of all however, a javelin had been rammed into her chest, effectively impaling her. We all stood there like deer in the headlights as the Hellish trumpets bellowed over the island.


	8. Part 2: Murder at Twilight, Deadly Life

Everything seemed to go fuzzy as I began to comprehend the terrible scene. The other island residents appeared around me, shocked and horrified as I was. Hiyoko was the worst off however, standing there petrified like a timid mouse, looking on mortified at her now dead companion.

‘Oh dear…’ I heard the voice of the bear before he materialised in front of us, pacing up and down, the chained rabbit swerving in between his massive paws to avoid being squashed, ‘… It seems my little game jogged a few personal and painful memories for some of you’.

‘So, what if it did?’ Fuyuhiko hiccuped, stumbling into the room with a bottle still in hand.

‘Yeah, yeah, keep talking tough guy’, Monokuma turned to face us, ‘Oh and by the way, the Monokuma file has received an update’. We opened our student handbooks, found the app and saw that Byakuya’s details had been replaced with Mahiru’s, ‘You surely remember the procedure by now yes? Oh! And before I go, I have an extra rule for you, concerning accomplices to be more specific. As much as I appreciate you getting the ball rolling in the last round Nagito, I feel it is time for some changes around here’.

‘Don’t worry’, Nagito winked, ‘I have other ways of helping them find the truth’.

‘If you act as an accomplice you will have a chance of escaping out of here with the blackened should they not get caught. There is a catch however’, the bear smirked, ‘Because you did not deliver the killing blow, there will be a price to pay, just to even things out, you know!’

‘And what would that be?’ questioned Peko.

‘You will be weakened in one way or another, whether that means losing something very dear to you back on the mainland or exposing your dirty laundry to the world, the choices are endless!’

‘And what happens if the accomplice gets caught, will they be executed too?’ asked Akane.

‘No’, Monokuma shook his head, ‘However, if you are weakened and are forced back into the killing game, depending on the amount of damage dealt, you might find yourself becoming easy prey for the other participants, especially if they hate you for your previous actions. That’s if you don’t decide to take matters into your own hands of course!’

‘So, it’s basically torture then?’ Mikan gulped.

‘Pretty much!’

‘As soon as I escape your grasp, I am calling the U.N. about this!’ Monomi yelled before Monokuma’s paw came down on her, ‘You can torture me all you want, just leave my kittens alone!’

‘Pitiful…’ the bear yawned, ‘Anyway, sayonara little cubs! See you for round two!’ At these words the bear and rabbit vanished, and we were once again forced to comprehend the horrible situation.

‘Mahiru?’ Hiyoko stepped towards her, ‘No, this has to be a dream… and I want to wake up!’

‘She’s dead Hiyoko’, sighed Akane, approaching her and putting a hand on her shoulder.

‘No! I won’t believe it!’ At that moment Hiyoko bolted from the scene, tears in her eyes.

‘I will go and comfort her’, Ibuki ran after her.

‘I reckon it will be a good idea to examine the body first’, Mikan approached Mahiru’s lifeless form and began to poke and prod, ‘The cause of death was that of impalement. Since it went through her heart, death was instantaneous’.

‘At least she went quickly’, Sonia bowed her head, ‘Impalement is an awfully nasty way to go…’

‘Indeed, we have a Vlad Dracula wannabe in this class’, sighed Tora.

‘Where the Hell did the killer get the murder weapon from though?’ I frowned.

‘Wait a second, what’s this?’ Nekomaru pointed to what looked like a mask in the style of Samurai men-yoroi, ‘Why would the killer leave something like this here?’

‘Could it be?’ Gundham tilted his head.

‘No way!’ Sonia clapped a hand to her mouth, ‘That’s a sure sign sparkling justice was here!’

‘You’re not still on about that guy, are you?’ Nekomaru raised an eyebrow, ‘Besides, didn’t you say they were from Novoselic? Why would they need to go to a Japanese University of all places?’

‘And they could just be a copycat for all we know’, Peko pointed out, ‘A lot of noteworthy serial killers first learned their techniques by mimicking famous killers before them’.

‘It has to be them!’ Sonia insisted, ‘I have one of their masks which looks just like this, hanging over my bedside!’

‘Well we already have one confirmed serial killer here’, Akane jerked her head towards Fuyuhiko who was standing just outside the door, ‘In the state we are in, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to believe that other murderers live among us’.

‘Just because we were all forced into a killing game, that doesn’t necessarily mean we started off as serial murderers!’ I laughed weakly.

‘Are you so sure?’ I looked up to see none other than Nagito, ‘Did you miss me?’

‘Not particularly’, I quickly averted my gaze, 'Crap, I forgot you were here...'

‘Don’t you remember me telling you? Hope’s Peak was once filled with criminals, killers included, most of which were associated with various Yakuza gangs. In the 1980’s about a third of students already had a criminal record or were later revealed to have links to criminal organisations. And that’s just those who were confirmed! For all we know, murderers could still be lurking in the very halls of Hope’s Peak, perhaps there are even some on this very island!’

‘Fuyuhiko did threaten me at one point where he told me about his so-called lackeys in the university, but on the island itself… really? I think I’d know if one of us was a serial killer Nagito…’

‘As much as I hate to say it, he’s right’, Sonia spoke, staring at the wall, ‘A lot of serial killers are quite accomplished at living so-called normal lives in public. You are only able to see their true colours behind closed doors’.

‘We will find out soon enough’, Nagito grinned, ‘Come on, let’s do some mystery solving already’, he indicated the door nearby labelled ‘equipment’ and together we stepped inside, ‘Notice anything strange?’

‘It seems awfully messy in here for a start’, I looked up and down, ‘Here!’ I pointed to the corner of the room where some javelins were propped up near some other sports equipment, just as I approached it however, I accidentally knocked over a container and tripped as its contents rolled all over the place, as though it occurred in slow motion I smacked into the floor, ‘Oh shit!’ When I managed to heave myself up, I noticed something, ‘Hang on a second…’ I noticed that the lid of a large, long box was open, a pile of surfboards lying nearby, ‘Nagito could you try lying in that thing?’

‘Don’t mind if I do!’ he manged to climb up the shelf and lowered himself into it. Once he was inside, I shut the lid, ‘Hey Hajime, you’re not thinking about leaving me in here are you?’

‘As much as I’m tempted to, I was merely testing to see if a human being can fit inside’.

‘Thank God! As much as I’m a masochist, lying there in the dark is a bit too much! Gundham will probably like it though, you should see if he wants to try it out!’

‘Okay you can get out now’, I opened the lid and Nagito lowered himself out, ‘One thing is certain, somebody used this box to hide. Otherwise, why would there be a bunch of surfboards strewn across the floor like that?’

‘Or they were using them and couldn’t be arsed to put them back afterwards’, Nagito shrugged, ‘Lazy bastards…’ his eyes averted to something colourful on the ground, ‘Hey what’s this?’ He picked up the item, a pink toy pony with a bright rainbow mane and tail.

‘What the hell is a Cyber Pony toy doing here?’ I scratched my head.

‘Judging by this curious discovery, I’m going to assume that the person hiding in here was either a little girl or a thirty-year-old man’, Nagito shuddered as he pocketed the evidence.

‘They were probably a collector at the very least. Rest be assured that it’s probably a girl. I remember accidentally stumbling across some fanart made by the latter category and I’ve never looked at Cyber Ponies the same way since…’ my guts squirmed as we stepped out and approached Mikan.

‘While I was carrying out my autopsy, I found this in the victim’s hand’, she held out a sheet of paper, ‘It seems someone summoned her here. The signature reads Hiyoko, but even though I have been her personal punching bag throughout our stay, even I must admit the possibility of this being a forgery. Mahiru and Hiyoko were close after all, for all we know, someone pretending to be Hiyoko could have lured her in here, but we cannot be certain’.

‘I appreciate your open mindedness Mikan, but I don’t think we can be certain until Hiyoko gives her testimony of events. I just hope she will be willing when the time comes, our lives depend on it’.

‘Hey check this out!’ I heard Akane’s voice, ‘This shower has been recently used’, she led me towards the drain, ‘And that’s not all, look!’

‘That’s blood’, I gasped, ‘Only a little but still…’

‘Of course, someone could have obtained a small injury by swimming’, Nekomaru explained, ‘I went swimming last night and cut my foot on a piece of coral. I didn’t even notice it until the sharks started taking interest in me!’

‘I get your point, but this blood looks like it was shed only recently’, Mikan looked back at the others, ‘Did any of you suffer any injuries in the past hour or so?’ The other students shook their heads, ‘So, it is Mahiru’s blood then...'

‘Seems like it’, I bowed my head, ‘Come on let’s keep looking’.

‘I just hope Hiyoko is okay’, Peko gazed towards the beach.

When we began our investigation outside the house, except for Nekomaru and Tora who agreed to guard Mahiru’s body, we spotted a set of smaller footprints. They were separate from all the others, going in the opposite direction. Judging by the width between them the person who they belonged to had clearly been running.

‘Do you think those are Hiyoko’s?’ gasped Sonia.

‘Most likely’, I nodded, ‘We did see her booking it from the beach house earlier’.

‘Judging by our current findings, it seems Hiyoko ran away in distress after discovering Mahiru’s dead body. Those two were practically joined at the hip, it’s no wonder she looked to be in so much emotional turmoil’, Gundham sighed.

‘Or she could have been the murderer’, I saw Peko standing behind me alongside Akane, ‘I don’t know what reason she would have for killing someone so close to her heart but consider the overwhelming evidence. I mean, who else among us collects Cyber Ponies?’

‘She has a point, as strange as it is’, agreed Akane, ‘I remember hearing Hiyoko talk very enthusiastically about her Cyber Pony collection to Mahiru a few days ago’.

‘So that Cyber Pony probably belonged to Hiyoko…’ I frowned, ‘It still makes no sense though, why the Hell would she kill someone who she loved very dearly?’

‘I’m just explaining my findings, nothing more’, Peko uttered, ‘Someone on this very island might not seem who you think they are!’

‘That’s true, maybe she was like that spineless rat Nagito and feigned her love for Mahiru as he did to you Hajime’, Gundham bared his teeth.

‘Hey! I heard that!’ Nagito whined, ‘And that’s not true! I want to be everybody’s friend, but I can’t because none of you will accept the path of hope’.

‘Path of complete and utter bullshit more like…’, I mumbled before I saw Fuyuhiko walk past me, somewhat clumsily as he took a large swig of beer, ‘Hey Fuyuhiko, you don’t look so good…’

‘So?!’ he hissed in a dismissive tone, ‘What has that got to do with anything? I’ve got nothing!’

‘I’m just worried that’s all’, I smiled nervously, ‘If you have any information, we will be happy to hear it and it may even help us get out in one piece!’

‘I told ya, I’ve got nothing! Just leave me alone, I’ve got my own problems to deal with right now!’

‘How typical of him…’ Akane shook her head, ‘He’s probably so used to seeing dead bodies by now that it’s just like another trip to the store for him…’

‘Tell me about it…’

‘Psst, Hajime!’ Chiaki gestured for me to come over, ‘Follow me, there is something you must see!’

‘Will it help us in our investigation?’

‘Come on already!’ Chiaki yanked my hand with a surprising level of force and led me away from the crime scene, back over the bridge and to the garden where the arcade machine stood.

‘It’s fine Chiaki’, I panted, ‘I played this already, shortly before Mahiru’s murder in fact’.

‘No, you haven’t’, she shook her head, ‘Not the whole thing anyway…’

‘What the Hell are you on about?’

‘Remember that message which appeared after completing ‘Day 4’, it was also a passcode’.

‘Ah…’ my face fell, ‘I suppose I am still a dumbass then…’ Chiaki said nothing but gave me a pat on the back, ‘Anyway… if I press down five times, I wonder what the game will reveal? The murderer? Or maybe it might even tell us ‘Todd’s’ true identity!’

‘Less talking, more gaming Hajime’, Chiaki said before the screen changed.

The words ‘Day 1’ appeared and a brand-new scene was playing out. I recognised the two girls as Satoko and the dark-haired young woman who had briefly appeared in Day 4, Akari. They were standing in a dark alleyway, clearly not wanting to be seen.

‘I told ya!’ Akari’s teeth were bared, ‘I won’t do it!’

‘Let’s be reasonable here Akari’, Satoko desperately tried to reassure her, ‘What happened to your brother was an act of great injustice’.

‘I don’t want you to use my brother’s death for your daddy’s personal gains!’

‘My family has slowly been gaining influence. We have helped so many poor unfortunate souls in need of assistance. When the authorities and the government fail them, we are their saving grace’.

‘I’m not an idiot Satoko, even I know what sharks like your father get up to’.

‘You have a right to be suspicious’, she put a hand on Akari’s shoulder, ‘but don’t you realise what opportunities are at stake here?! If you can help me, you will be greatly rewarded, I promise’.

‘I don’t want blood money, I’m not like you. I merely seek justice’.

‘You don’t have to take my offer of money, but since you were recruited into the university has there ever been a time in which you wanted 'him' to feel the pain that you did?’

‘I guess so, but I never considered actually doing it. Nobody deserves to experience the grief I felt, not even 'him'’.

‘Who will mourn someone like Natsuki though? You heard the reports, she has terrorised the other students at the university, even more so than her brother. She will go out of her way to get what she wants, even if it hurts everybody else in the process. That is why she is set to be the next heir. If she takes over leadership, the streets of Japan could become more dangerous than they already are. My family business could have the potential to stand in the way of that if we act quickly’.

‘Why can’t you do it then?’

‘Because it would mean so much more if you delivered the killing blow. You can make Fumihiro feel the same way you did when he poisoned your brother, and by killing the family heir, you can put a dent in his clan’s armour’.

‘Are you just trying to cover your ass Satoko?’

‘If the authorities get suspicious, I can cover you. Fumihiro and Natsuki see their allies as disposable but not I. I can protect you, and you can avenge your brother properly’.

‘You serious?’ 

Satoko reached into her pocket and handed her a pair of black gloves and a balaclava, ‘Natsuki practices piano in the music room every evening. It’s soundproof, so nobody, not even those in the nearest classrooms will detect a thing’.

‘Really? Are you seriously trusting me with something like this?’

‘Yeah’, she checked behind her shoulder, ‘It won’t be easy, but my father and I will have your back. With Natsuki’s termination, we will be preventing further suffering’.

‘I am aware I am supporting the lesser of two evils’, Akari held out a hand but looked forlorn as she did so, ‘But at this point, if the likes of you won’t support me, then who will?’

‘Don’t worry’, Satoko shook her hand in return, ‘It will be worth it in the end, trust me on this’.

The two girls left the scene as the screen shifted to behind the dumpster where a mysterious white-haired girl crouched and had clearly been listening into the conversation.

It was then that the screen cut to the words ‘Day 3’. This time Satoko was accompanied by another character who I recognised as Mariko.

‘Um… hi Satoko! Why have you summoned me here?’ Mariko asked, ‘Have the police come up with a verdict for Natsuki’s death yet?’

‘Nothing is set in stone’, she explained, ‘Several students were brought into question, me included. They suspect the killer likely had Yakuza links but there wasn’t enough evidence to pin the murder onto any one individual, it was what everyone expected, given her links and everything…’ she grinned slightly, ‘but they were so wrong!’

‘What the hell are you talking about?’

‘The plan went by just as I’d hoped’, Satoko put the tips of her fingers together.

‘You weren’t… involved in this whole thing, were you?’ a shiver went down Mariko’s back, ‘Is that why you were so eager for us to stay away from the crime scene?’

‘I wasn’t doing it for me, I was doing it for my hitman’.

‘You had a hitman?!’

‘Yeah, I made a promise to them that I would cover their tracks, so that’s what I did. Unlike that little bitch, I see those who assist me as more than mere weapons’.

‘That’s still cowardly if you ask me. Were you too proud to get your hands dirty Satoko?’

‘No not at all! I couldn’t have sent that great heavy thing crashing down on Natsuki’s skull like that, so I offered a deal to someone who could! Seeing as we made a promise, I cannot give too much away, but my chosen assassin has had some history with her family’.

‘Jesus Satoko’, Mariko stepped back a few paces, ‘Yes, Natsuki was a cold-hearted bitch, but did she really deserve to die like that? And no matter how much you try to deny it, you relied on another student to be your tool, didn’t you?!’

‘It’s not quite as simple as that. Not only was Natsuki a bully who threw her weight around to get her way, but her family has also threatened mine’.

‘Seriously?’

‘My father started up a company to help struggling businesses, of which there are many in the current economic climate. He helped to save many smaller businesses from total bankruptcy during increasing costs and competition. Thanks to him, many jobs and livelihoods were saved. I mean, sometimes he had to give the occasional ‘nudge’ if they did not pay up, but overall, my father was well known for his generosity. Naturally however his efforts attracted enemies too’.

‘Was Natsuki’s clan among them?’

‘Oh definitely. My father and other company officials were sent death threats and blackmail from the clan all the time. While other major Yakuza were occupied by the gang war, her clan took notice, especially as we took on clients who had resorted to doing business with them in the past’.

‘Damn, so this shit was more intense than I realise?’

‘You must understand, this wasn’t just me getting revenge on the school bully. Natsuki and her family had started a war, all I did was fire back at them’.

‘More like you shot first’, Mariko put her hands on her hips, ‘God Satoko, why did you have to be so stupid? Taking out one of their lackeys would have been one thing, but killing their heir… do you know how much danger you are putting yourself in, and us for that matter?'

‘Isn’t that part of war though?’

Mariko sighed and turned to the door, ‘Your family can have its little disputes, just don’t involve me and my friends in them okay?’ the sound of her walking out could be heard as Satoko paced back and forth. Now she was alone, she was appeared more nervous than her previous appearances. 

The screen turned black and the words, ‘meanwhile’ could be seen before the room changed to a hideout. Three characters were standing there in an intense conversation, two young men and a woman which I recognised as the white haired girl spying on Satoko and Akari earlier.

‘I am sure you know why I have summoned you both tonight’, the smaller of the two men with the name of Fumihiro said calmly, despite the raging fire flickering in his eyes.

‘Natsuki was a fine lass’, the bulky young man called Mosuke spoke, ‘One thing’s for sure, the one who did this must pay dearly’.

‘Indeed’, the girl, whose name was ‘???’ nodded, ‘But what can we do without drawing suspicion? If we are not careful, all the sacrifices we have made will mean nothing’.

‘That’s easy, I’m going to make this personal!’, Fumihiro cracked his knuckles.

‘But master’, Mosuke intervened, ‘We have many allies inside and outside of the university. I can help rally them to carry out a fiery retribution and then we can show the enemy clans that we are still strong in the face of tragedy!’

‘We mustn’t draw too much attention to ourselves Mosuke. You have lost quite a few of your gang members to the war in my service. Do you really want all that to be in vain?’

‘Of course not, master…’ he closed his eyes and turned away.

‘Hope’s Peak is practically in our grasp, what would be to gain from throwing it all away?’

‘Still, it will be difficult and dangerous’, the girl pointed out, ‘I don’t doubt your abilities master, but we need to think about this carefully if we are going to go ahead with such a plan’.

‘Don’t worry’, Fumihiro pulled out a cigarette, ‘That is precisely the reason why we are here. I am confident we can make this as quick and clean as possible’.

Mosuke pulled out a silvery object from his long coat, ‘My knives have not tasted blood for some time. Natsuki was the same year as me, but in a different class. Alas... I should have protected her. This could be my opportunity to make up for my failure…’ he twirled the weapon menacingly.

‘No, allow me to do it! My purpose since childhood was to stick by my master’s side and die if that’s what it takes’, the girl knelt on one knee in the manner of a knight.

‘Natsuki was my family’s pride and joy. It only makes sense that I should be the one to take vengeance on her killer. That will be the ultimate statement without drawing too much attention to ourselves. In the end, it is my fault that she died, so I must be the one to deliver the killing blow. If I fail…’ Fumihiro looked into the eyes of the girl solemnly, ‘… I feel it is right to take matters into my own hands, for the honour of my family’.

‘You don’t mean… no you can’t!’

‘Remember the promise you made to me. If I cannot restore my honour by avenging my sister, then it’s the only way. I hope you understand now why I feel it is my duty to undergo this task’.

‘Of course, master’, the girl bowed, ‘So, the target in question… it’s that Satoko girl, right?’

‘I must admit that she has done an excellent job blending in with the others, but I have studied her family tree and I have long suspected that she had much more sinister intentions. She is very much a daddy’s girl, so much so that she is set up to be the head of the family business. While other enemy clans have been out in the open, her family has operated in the shadows, and has taken the opportunity to profit off struggling businesses, which only increased as the recession took its toll. Throughout the war, they have been gaining influence right under our noses’.

‘Her dad is like… one of those loan sharks I assume?!’ Mosuke questioned.

‘That’s correct, I fear that if we allow her family to gain any more prominence, then the we could have another powerful enemy on our hands. We need to choke the weed before it grows up, and I feel this is the perfect opportunity to pounce’, his fist shook, ‘If there is one thing my family despises more than anything, it’s cowardice. That’s why I hate that bitch, and her father too. At least the other enemy clans are willing to fight like men!’

‘I hate cowards as much as the next person master. But how can we be sure that she was the one who attacked Natsuki? I doubt a bitch so high and mighty as her would want to get her hands dirty’.

‘That is what I suspect. In fact ??? caught wind of a pretty noteworthy conversation going on’, Fumihiro gestured towards the girl, ‘A talk between Satoko and someone who has been desperate to get back at me for some time now’.

‘You don’t mean…’ Mosuke clapped a hand to his mouth, ‘Why did I not think of that before? Ever since I set foot in the university, that girl has been harassing me over it. It’s like she wants me to turn into Jesus fucking Christ and raise her brother from the dead or something…’

‘Why not just kill them both?’ suggested the girl.

‘Because it would not benefit the clan. If what you say is correct, Satoko’s ‘request’ for Akari must have been like music to her ears, especially for someone who desperately wanted an answer… and an answer she got…’ Fumihiro punched the wall next to him.

‘Master, Akari bashed your sister’s head in with a fucking piano. Surely you should at least let me dispose of her? Even if I have to do it outside of campus grounds’.

‘As noble as your suggestion is ???, it's best not to go down a slippery slope. Also, she was nothing more than a mere tool, just like her brother before her. The only good killing her will do is put the clan in hot water. The students already know that shit is about to go down soon. Akari is an Ultimate now, her death will not be brushed aside like her brother’s. For now, we should solely remain focused on the source’.

‘If Satoko had not manipulated the lass into killing Natsuki, I doubt she would have had the balls to carry it out alone', Mosuke sighed, 'I still remember the looks in my enemies’ eyes as I slew them. It’s a heavy weight to bear on your shoulders, no matter how many beers you drown yourself in afterwards’.

‘Feeling sentimental are you Mosuke?’

‘In the end it is all for the benefit of the clan’, the girl uttered, ‘don’t forget that’.

‘Satoko has been at my sister’s throat ever since she started here. I thought she would be able to handle this on her own, but I was wrong, I should have been there for her. Natsuki was long destined to be the head of the clan but now there's only me’, Fumihiro’s eyes watered, ‘I hope this act will be my repentance, otherwise, what kind of leader will that make me?’

‘I shall be at your side master, every step of the way’, the girl stepped forward to comfort him.

‘You took me in Fumihiro, when nobody else would’, Mosuke fell to his knees, ‘I owe you something in return’.

‘Very well’, Fumihiro composed himself, ‘You both can assist me, this time tomorrow at twilight, but in the end, I should be the one to kill Satoko’, he cleared his throat, ‘Okay then, here’s the plan…’ he turned towards the girl, ‘You have been vital to our scheme but I am afraid I must ask for your services again’, he took both of her hands in his.

‘What do you wish from me master?’ she looked into his eyes.

‘We need to lure her in somehow, and I think you are the only one she will trust’.

‘Are you sure? I mean, we have barely crossed paths…’

‘Don’t worry, I trust you more than anyone!’

‘Hey!’ Mosuke protested before Fumihiro shot him a warning glare, ‘My mistake, you two are practically brother and sister, aren’t you?’

‘I have remained at my master’s side for years, swearing loyalty to him until the very end’, she told him, ‘I think it’s reasonable that he trusts me above all others’.

‘As loyal as you have been Mosuke, Peko and I are family. I hope you understand’, said Fumihiro.

‘Of course, master…’, he backed down.

‘Anyway, I don’t require much of you ??? All you need to do is invite Satoko for a little workout session. She is bound to follow you; you are known as the University’s lady killer after all!’

‘Yes… I never anticipated that I would literally become one though…’ the girl turned away, ‘Nevertheless, I understand that this is for the greater good, and for the protection of the clan’.

‘Do I have your word?’ 

‘Yes master’, the girl bowed.

The screen cut to black before poorly spelled bright text flashed up on the screen reading, ‘Conglaturation! You’re Winner!’ I then I heard a whirring sound from the machine, and an envelope with the familiar Monokuma seal came out of the slot.

After sitting there gobsmacked for a while, I slowly opened my 'winnings', ‘Holy crap, for a shitty bootleg game, that was a lot to take in'. Even when I had a rough idea about who some of these characters were supposed to represent, I was still nonetheless shocked to see the faces of Mikan, Ibuki, Mahiru and Hiyoko smiling back at me from the first image. Among them however was a girl I was not familiar with, ‘Hey Chiaki, do you reckon this is the young woman Satoko was based on?’

‘Seems like it’, Chiaki nodded, ‘It appears she was a first year’, she peered over my shoulders as I shuffled through the photos, the next being a crime scene photo showing the girl’s lifeless body, a bloody dumbbell laying at her side, ‘Yes look, her name is Sato and her age is listed as being 18, that’s the starting age for most Hope’s Peak undergraduates. It appears she was also in the same class as the first victim and had something to do with her murder’.

‘It seems Sato wasn’t entirely innocent herself, even if she relied on another student to actually carry out the deed’, my heart skipped a beat, ‘you don’t think Akari is based on… who I think it is, right?’ 

Chiaki only let out a deep sigh as I continued to shuffle through the photos, the next being a large room filled with smoke. Looking closer I could make out a figure retreating from the scene. While their face was covered, I could tell that they were quite chunky in their appearance, ‘That looks like the lackey from the last scene. I don’t know who Mosuke is supposed to be, but from what I gathered from the dialogue, he was just another first year’.

‘I just wonder who that strange girl was’, I frowned, turning towards the next photograph, another crime scene, ‘I wonder why her name was kept hidden throughout the whole thing?’

‘Jesus, the scene looks even nastier than it was in the game’, Chiaki shook her head, ‘Even if she was a nothing more than a villain, nobody deserves such a terrible fate, especially when you are in the middle of doing something you love’.

‘Hey, look at this’, I pointed at the crime scene details, ‘the victim’s name is…’

‘Natsumi Kuzuryuu’, Chiaki clapped a hand to her mouth, ‘Oh God it makes much more sense now…’

‘Mahiru knew things that Fuyuhiko didn’t. I suspect that after playing the game and winning the ‘prize’ he lured Mahiru to the beach house to get information out of her, before killing her’.

‘Are you sure Fuyuhiko was the killer in this case?’

‘Who else could it be? Unless that mysterious girl is on the island somewhere...’

‘I just hope we can discover her identity during the trial, if that’s even possible’. 

It was at that moment when we heard the sounds of the trumpets go off once again, summoning us to Monokuma Rock and the Second Class Trial. The first set of students I saw heading down there was Ibuki, trailing along and comforting a trembling Hiyoko, whose eyes were now red and puffy.

‘Leave me alone!’, Hiyoko, ‘Why can’t you just let me curl up and die?’

‘It’s alright Hiyoko’, Ibuki tried to reassure her, ‘We will catch the bastard responsible for this’.

‘No, it’s not! Even if we do find the killer Mahiru is still not coming back’. Even after all the torment she had put Mikan through earlier, my heart nevertheless ached for Hiyoko in that moment.

As Chiaki and I moved closer to the rock, we could see other students catching up to us.

‘Hey Hajime!’ I heard Nagito pant, ‘Will you let me go free when the trial is over?’

‘If we suspect any meddling on your part, then you will go back in the cuffs for sure. In that case I fear that Chiaki and I might not be able to guarantee your safety for much longer’, I cautioned him.

‘Thank you Hajime, you’re the best!’ Nagito beamed, ‘Anyway, I saw you and Chiaki just playing that weird machine, are any of you feeling little side effects from playing?’

‘We didn’t catch anything like the Lavender Town Syndrome if that’s what you mean’, Chiaki shook her head, ‘It was really nothing more than a crappy bootleg'.

‘Yeah…’ I nodded, ‘It was still pretty unnerving though. Fancy something like that occurring at the supposedly most prestigious university in all of Japan… And to think that I spent so much of my high school years admiring the place…’

The thirteen of us gathered around the maw-like cave entrance and slowly made our way inside, the flames in the stone bear’s makeshift eyes seemingly watching us as we entered.

‘I wonder if the identity of sparkling justice will finally be revealed!’ Sonia exclaimed as the torches illuminated the passageway ahead.

‘I just want to know what the meaning of that Twilight Syndrome game was all about’, I said, ‘I want to believe it was all just fabrication but considering the contents of the ‘prize’, I highly doubt that…’

‘Fuyuhiko, are you okay?’ Mikan asked him apprehensively, I was almost convinced at this point that the beer bottle was glued in his grip, ‘If you have any worries, talking about them is better for your mental well being than drinking’.

‘I’m fine!’ he snapped, ‘Let’s just get this fucking thing over with!’

We descended on the dark path spiraling downwards until we arrived at the Hellish double doors for a second time. They swung open and we nervously stepped inside the courtroom once again. 

I noticed right away that in Kazuichi’s seating place there was another crude shrine set up like Byakuya’s. It was then the I remembered the brutal method in which the Ultimate Mechanic was executed, beaten into a bloody pulp. Even if they were a murderer, nobody deserved such a twisted fate and I hoped that the next blackened would not have to go through something so horrible.

Mahiru also had such a shrine in her place and Hiyoko choked back tears as she set her eyes upon it, seemingly not wanting to show vulnerability to the beast standing before her. I felt deep inside that she had the right to cry however, the two of them were partners and almost inseparable from one another. Mahiru was one of the more intelligent and rational members of the class and without her guidance, the other students surely felt confused and lost.

‘Welcome back little cubs!’ the bear announced from his platform, ‘Are you ready to crack this case?’ He sat down, once again glaring hungrily at us all.

‘You make me sick!’ Monomi yelled from the canary cage swinging above, rattling the bars, ‘Three of my kittens have been snatched from me, as their guardian I will not sit back and watch!’

‘What else can you do Monomi?’ Monokuma taunted her, ‘When there is fresh meat in sight for a hungry bear like me, do you think I’m just going to turn it down that easily?!’ he laughed, ‘Okay enough talk, let’s get to the fun part already!’, he stood on his hind legs, clapped his paws together and announced, ‘Let the second class trial commence!’


	9. Class Trial 2

‘Okie dokie then! Where shall we start?’ gloated Monokuma.

‘Well the murder weapon is obvious’, Chiaki spoke first, ‘The killer must have obtained the javelin from the storage cupboard. You and Nagito saw a bunch of them in there, right Hajime?’

‘That’s correct’, I nodded, ‘There was also a bunch of surfboards taken out of their box, which was laying there empty. The last person in there must have been in a hurry so they didn’t bother tidying up after themselves’.

‘What’s that got to do with anything?’ frowned Ibuki.

‘We reckon someone used it as a hiding place. It can fit a human body as well as a coffin can!’

‘He’s right’, Nagito laughed nervously, ‘It was kind of freaky in there. For a few moments I seriously thought Hajime had buried me alive! And that's not all we found…’ Nagito held up the Cyber Pony toy, ‘Now I have no idea what something like this was doing at the scene but from what I can gather, it appears that it came from a collector of some kind’.

‘You don’t mean... bronies?!’ yelled Gundham in horror.

‘Shit, I sure hope not!' winced Nekomaru.

‘How about the rest of the crime scene though?’ Chiaki pointed out, ‘And the body for that matter? Mikan, did you notice anything peculiar about the corpse?’

‘Not much’, she explained, ‘But it did seem as though it had been deliberately propped up against the back door for one reason or another’.

‘Wait just one second! Why would the killer need to use Mahiru’s body as a doorstop?’ questioned Tora.

‘I’m not sure yet’, Chiaki shook her head, ‘But I’m sure it will become clearer to us once we have a better picture of everything which occurred this evening’.

‘Then there was the shower room’, Akane pointed out, ‘Not only had it been used, but there was blood too. Not much of it, but still blood, nonetheless’.

Nekomaru nodded, ‘Unless somebody accidentally cut themselves on a rock while swimming, I image the killer used it to wash the victim’s blood off’.

‘Speaking of which, after Peko and Akane headed back up to the lodge, we didn’t see anyone else in the water that evening’, Ibuki commented, ‘then again we could have easily missed someone since Chiaki, Akane, Tora and I were preoccupied with our spooktastic spelunking party!’

‘Anyway…’ I cleared my throat, ‘Before we get down to who was present at the crime scene, I think we should first cover that weird ass game. It was clearly designed by Monokuma to strike a nerve among some of you, so it could give us a decent picture of any possible suspects’.

‘Of course’, replied Chiaki, ‘In typical video game bootleg fashion, the names were created in order to sound similar to certain attendees of Hope’s Peak University. It’s about as subtle as all those Sonic look-a-like mascots in the nineties’.

‘Yeah. I think it’s pretty obvious’, I held out my ‘prize’ from the arcade machine.

‘Is that us?’ Ibuki clapped a hand to her mouth.

‘It is’, Mikan tilted her head.

‘Just as ugly then as you are now Mikan’, Hiyoko tutted.

‘I’m sorry! I was always such a mess...'

‘Hiyoko seriously, cut it out!’ snapped Akane.

‘Besides, you’re one to talk Hiyoko’, Fuyuhiko snickered, ‘All I see is a little dirty skank!’

‘Don’t you start any shit Fuyuhiko’, Tora snarled. 

‘Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?’ gasped Monomi.

‘He called me a skank!’ wailed Hiyoko.

‘This is getting tiresome’, sighed Gundham.

‘Okay that’s enough everyone!’ I yelled, ‘Can we please focus here?’

‘Now where we?’ Chiaki pondered, ‘Oh yes, the photos!’

‘Wait a second, who is that girl?’ Ibuki’s eyes narrowed, ‘I don’t recognise her’.

‘That’s because she’s a year below us’, I said, ‘And she’s dead too. From what we saw on the video, it appears that this girl, named Sato, was murdered after killing another student in her year, Natsumi Kuzuryuu. That’s your sister right, Fuyuhiko?’

‘Yes…’ Fuyuhiko remained unusually calm.

‘Natsumi’s body was discovered in the music room, her head bashed in by a piano which she used to practice in the evening. It was suspected that Sato’s killer had Yakuza links. Natsumi was set to be the next head of the Kuzuryuu clan but ultimately law enforcement wasn’t able to pin the blame on anyone and the entire case went cold’, Chiaki explained further.

‘Oh, the police knew they were responsible’, scoffed Akane, ‘They just didn’t want to get on the Kuzuryuus’ bad side. Why isn’t that obvious to anyone?’

‘I get your point Akane but Sato wasn’t so innocent herself. Her father ran a loan shark company and she saw the Kuzuryuu clan as a threat to that business. Since Natsumi was a notorious bully, that was another excuse for Sato to have her assassinated’.

‘My sister wasn’t a bully’, Fuyuhiko blurted out, ‘If she didn’t show off her strength, she could have easily been picked off by members of enemy clans’.

‘Whatever the case, she still wasn’t particularly liked. Then again, I suppose being from a notorious Yakuza gang is going to put you in hot water regardless. Nevertheless, Sato ended up dying soon after and it was suspected that someone associated with the clan was to blame for the murder, especially as an heir was killed shortly beforehand. Considering Sato’s family, it wouldn’t be surprising that she and the young members of the Kuzuryuu clan would be on bad terms’.

‘Loan sharks are little more than pests to a Kuzuryuu’, Fuyuhiko bragged, ‘Like with any vermin however, you need to stamp them out before they become too big a problem to contain. They are still cowards nonetheless, unlike them, we Kuzuryuus are not afraid to settle matters on the street if we have to!’ he pulled out his currently useless pistol.

‘Still…’ remarked Nagito, ‘while they may not settle things on the street, the tongue of a loan shark is an alluring poison, which is why so many companies on the brink made ties with them when the recession started. Of course however, it wasn’t uncommon for those who couldn’t pay up to end up disappearing ‘under mysterious circumstances’’.

‘Why can’t you settle disputes through nice things, like making cupcakes together?’ sighed Monomi.

‘Did Sato actually kill Natsumi though, or did she just get somebody else to do the dirty work?’ questioned Sonia, ‘Ever since my family’s dynasty began, we kept our military technology a national secret. Unfortunately rulers from other European nations became jealous of Novoselic’s prowess and it was not uncommon for them to send out assassins. Before they were executed, the ones that were caught turned out to be Novoselic subjects, poor students that already harbored a grudge against the royal family’.

‘Are you implying that someone in a powerful position took advantage of a poor person to carry out their wishes for them?’ Tora growled, ‘How much of a rich bastard do you have to be?’

‘It’s more common than you think’, sighed Sonia, ‘It was not uncommon for opponents of Novoselic to recruit those who were desperate. Even if they shared a completely different moral stance, the payoff was too great for them to resist, especially if they had family to feed or rent to pay’.

‘Like I said’, Gundham reminded us, ‘Classical Pavlovian conditioning’.

‘So, it’s basically the elite using the poor and desperate as pawns for their own sick gains’, I said.

‘Pretty much’, shrugged Nagito, ‘No matter how much the puppet masters try and sugar coat it, they are mere tools’.

‘But that’s horrible!’ gasped Mikan.

‘I know’, sighed Ibuki, ‘It’s like those reality TV singing contests where singers desperate to show off their talent to the world end up selling their soul to some record company. There’s a lot less bloodshed involved of course, but the ‘tool’ mentality still applies’.

‘That is another reason why I prefer the company of animals over humans’, Gundham spoke, ‘They will never use you for their own evil ends, you can trust them. Unless they happen to talk of course’, his working eye flicked between Monomi and Monokuma.

‘But… you can trust me with anything!’ Monomi laughed nervously.

‘I trust you to jump off a cliff if you don’t shut up!’ Monokuma snarled.

‘Is it really possible that a mere university student hired an assassin to kill a prominent Yakuza member though? It all seems a little far-fetched if you ask me’, Peko raised an eyebrow.

‘Yeah, it’s a bit absurd don’t you think?’ Tora frowned.

‘It is. But it’s true. They are sitting in this very room in fact’, I jerked my head towards Akane, ‘It makes sense that a master of words like Sato would take advantage of someone who already had a long-standing vendetta against the Kuzuryuu clan’.

‘What the fuck?!’ Nekomaru roared in despair, ‘Akane would never… you wouldn’t…’

‘I didn’t want to believe it, but considering the fact that our memories were erased, it could have indeed been true’, Akane fell to her knees, ‘Still, the thought that I resorted to such a scummy method to enact revenge repulses me’.

‘It’s not true…’ I saw Sonia’s eyes begin to fill with tears, ‘Please tell me it’s not true…’

‘No!’ Nekomaru cried out, ‘There has to be some sort of misunderstanding!’ 

Fuyuhiko spoke in a quieter but colder tone of voice, ‘How did it feel, in the moment when you splattered my little sister’s brains all over the piano? Did it feel satisfying to you?’

‘I… I don’t know…’ Akane’s voice trembled, ‘My memory was completely wiped. And even if I did remember, I feel absolutely disgusted knowing of my actions'.

‘I bet it felt good, didn’t it? I bet you jacked off to it afterwards! After all Akane, your hate boner for my family was so great was it not?!’

‘Fuyuhiko that’s enough!’ Peko snapped.

‘My kittens! How are we supposed to get along with that kind of talk?!’ scolded Monomi.

‘No! Natsumi was the same age as Riku, I would not have done such a thing if I was in a right state of mind, I swear!’ Akane trembled violently as the horrible realisation crashed over her. I knew that this moment was inevitable, but my body nevertheless went cold as this usually bold woman shook.

‘Fuyuhiko, Sato was the one who poisoned Akane’s mind. I saw it for myself! Her father was a loan shark for crying out loud, those people have ways of twisting the mind to take up a good deal’, I brought up, ‘I’m sure Akane wouldn’t have done it otherwise!’

‘But the fact remains, that bimbo killed my fucking sister!’ Fuyuhiko snarled, ‘Oh boy! I was tempted to kill you ever since I played the game for myself Akane. Even if I die as a result, my loss will be nothing compared to hers. She was set to become the strongest Kuzuryuu leader since our golden age. But you crushed that dream, just like the way you crushed Natsumi’s skull in’.

‘Why didn’t you kill me then?’ Akane bowed her head, ‘If I knew of my past sins, I would not have fought back. I’m just as horrified at this revelation as you are Fuyuhiko, and I don’t know if there is any other way to forgive myself for such a cowardly act’.

‘This is so fucked…’ Tora murmered.

‘Ooo I love me some drama!’ I saw that Monokuma had manifested a bag of popcorn for himself. As he loudly munched upon it, Fuyuhiko once again resembled a venomous snake.

‘I would have killed you, perhaps that was my initial thought back then too. But in the end, the only way I could avenge her death effectively was to take out the source of the clan’s misery’.

‘So, it was you who killed Sato then?’, Nagito stood up, ‘That makes perfect sense’.

‘A perfect revenge!’ Fuyuhiko’s voice cracked as his face twisted into a grimace, ‘It all ties in with our motto… If you fuck with a Kuzuryuu, they will fuck you right back! Fulfilling those words was the least I could do in my position as the new heir to the clan’.

‘If only it was simple’, Chiaki spoke, ‘For all of your bragging and hatred of so-called ‘cowards’, it appears you relied on a bunch of your own ‘tools’ to help you carry out Sato’s murder’.

‘They aren’t tools. Those who join the Kuzuryuu family are merely just willing to get shit done. But yes, it makes sense that such a risky operation required accomplices’.

‘Who were these accomplices?’ asked Nekomaru.

‘One of them seemed to be a first year. From what we uncovered from the evidence he was ordered to detonate a smoke bomb and distract the students while his master could carry out the murder plan in peace. His identity is currently unknown, but he obviously had close ties to the clan’, I explained as I held out the picture depicting the strange figure, surrounded by smoke.

‘Could it be?’ Akane’s face froze, ‘Oh God I hope not…’

‘What’s the matter?’

‘It’s nothing’, she laughed forcibly, ‘I’m just paranoid…’

‘I see… Whatever the case, I don’t think the identity of this accomplice is all that relevant not at this time anyway. Maybe we will find out later down the road… The other one though, the girl… her name was marked as unknown. The other names given to the characters are obviously supposed to sound like the individuals they were based on, so her name was hidden for a reason. All I know is that she was faithful to Fuyuhiko, and that the two of them were pretty close. It seems she lured Sato into the gym by inviting her to a workout session. Earlier she had obtained information for the clan by eavesdropping on Sato and Akane’s assassination scheming session’.

‘With that information, why did Natsumi end up dying regardless?’ Hiyoko pointed out.

‘My sister was a fearsome lass’, Fuyuhiko explained, ‘but so, so stubborn. Given that she would have been the first female Kuzuryuu leader, I imagine she didn’t want to indicate any signs of possible weakness. She always feared she would not be taken seriously if she relied on anyone’.

‘Damn…’ Tora replied, ‘Natsumi may have been little more than a prideful fool, but in my early racing days I felt the same way. It was bad enough that a lot of racing fans doubted my abilities as a woman, so I often resorted to refusing help, even if my vehicle was literally on fire!’

‘It’s kind of like being a rabbit I suppose’, Monomi lamented, ‘we are merely prey animals so not a lot is expected from us. We have to earn our respect in the animal kingdom by braving the dangerous predator infested wilderness every day, knowing that we could be snatched at any minute. My siblings suffered a worse fate though, one was turned into stew and the other was doomed to life in a children’s petting zoo. That’s why I had to toughen up!’

‘Not so tough now though are ya?’ Monokuma smirked, ‘We bears are naturally strong! We earn our respect before we even emerge from the womb!’

‘Still… who was this mysterious girl in the first place? Do you reckon they are standing among us?’ Hiyoko tilted her head.

‘Positive’, Chiaki nodded.

‘Do you really think they were the murderer?’ gasped Sonia.

‘Again positive, or they were at least involved in Mahiru’s death. To find out the truth however, we need to look at the crime scene again, more specifically, who was around it’.

‘We have an answer to that!’ Gundham announced, pointing towards Hiyoko, ‘Explain yourself mortal! Why were you running from the beach house?’

‘I… I…’ Hiyoko gulped, ‘It’s more complicated than you think’.

‘Yeah, yeah’, Fuyuhiko dismissed her, ‘What was a letter from you doing in Mahiru’s pocket?’

‘And why was there a Cyber Pony toy at the scene? Nobody else collects them as far as I know’, Peko frowned.

‘For your information, I keep my Cyber Pony collection in a glass case. That way no sick fuck will be able to get their Cheeto covered mitts on them’, Hiyoko explained.

‘Then what’s the meaning of this then?’ Nagito held out the pink Cyber Pony toy for her to observe.

‘What the Hell? That’s not what Chromo Flash looks like at all!’, she scoffed, ‘Anyone who has collected Cyber Ponies as long as I have, knows that she has an electric blue body!’

‘Oh yes I remember!’ Ibuki jumped in the air, ‘Even though I didn’t collect them myself, I remember back when they were Japan’s hottest toy and Chromo Flash was the one that everyone wanted!’

‘Well duh?! She only singlehandedly defeated the Golden Griffin and saved the Equinox Galaxy from total destruction!’ Hiyoko rolled her eyes.

‘So… it’s not an official model then?’ Chiaki asked calmly.

‘No way! It’s a nothing more than shitty faker, made by a company trying to scam and confuse old grannies into buying toys that vaguely resemble the real ones’.

‘Oh, I see what you’re getting at’, Nagito sniffed the toy before recoiling, ‘it smells like it’s full of lead too come to think of it’.

‘No wonder you are all losing braincells…’ I mumbled under my breath.

‘It seems as though the toy was planted there to pin Mahiru’s murder on Hiyoko’, Chiaki looked up to the ceiling, ‘but what about Hiyoko’s note?’

‘Wait!’ Hiyoko shuffled in her pockets, ‘I got a note too, from Mahiru. From what I saw in the letter I was to meet her in the beach house at 8pm but instead I saw her lying there… dead’. 

‘Strange. ‘Your’ note on the other hand instructs Mahiru to meet you at 7:45 pm. Do you remember anything after that?’

‘Before I could scream someone came up behind me… I couldn’t see who. I woke up in complete darkness and for a second, I thought I had fallen into the void. When I came back to my senses, I managed to push myself out of the box my assailant had trapped me in. Upon seeing Mahiru’s body a second time, the horrible reality surrounding me crept in for real and I couldn’t take it anymore, so I ran out as fast as I could, not looking back. I literally haven’t got a clue as to how she ended up like that. I was scared and confused, and above all I couldn’t bear to see her in the state she was in’.

'How do we know someone was even there to attack you?' Peko stated, 'The is no evidence anyone else was in the building at the time of the murder'.

'I beg to differ', Tora raised a finger, ‘While the rest of y’all were investigating outside, Nekomaru and I did some further detective work indoors’.

‘What did you discover exactly?’ Sonia questioned eagerly.

‘We decided to check out the shower room a little further’, Nekomaru explained, ‘And Tora spotted a window high above us. After I lifted her onto my shoulders, she was able to reach it without issue’.

‘I reckoned a human should have no problem squeezing through that thing. Trust me, I nearly fell out! Although that could be due to me bringing beer to our spelunking session earlier…’

‘Yeah, she was chugging that stuff when we got to the scary parts of our stories!’ laughed Ibuki.

‘What does that mean though?’ gulped Mikan.

‘It means that it’s possible someone used that window as an escape route, either by means of an accomplice or by propping up an object to reach it’, Chiaki said.

‘So, someone framed Hiyoko by escaping through the window then?’ Nagito pondered, ‘That makes sense, especially as they wouldn’t have left behind any footprints if they went that route’.

‘Yeah there was only cobblestone below me’, Tora pointed out, ‘Clever girl…’

‘Can you describe to me exactly what position Mahiru’s body was in when you saw her the first time Hiyoko?’ I asked her, ‘Trust me on this. Was it arranged differently the second time?’

‘Well if you say so…’ Hiyoko swallowed, ‘From what I can remember, Mahiru’s body was sprawled out on the floor, her limbs at odd angles’, she choked up, ‘When I saw her the second time however, she was propped up against the back door’.

‘Very peculiar…’ Nagito put his hands on his hips, ‘The murderer clearly didn’t want Hiyoko escaping via that route. A stone path came from down there, so anyone trying to escape the beach house at that point couldn’t without going through the front entrance… and leaving footprints in their wake’.

‘Ah, it’s all starting to make sense now!’ Chiaki exclaimed, ‘Now all we need to do is find the identity of the killer and their possible accomplice. Tora, Akane, Ibuki and I were together the whole time so I can safely say that none of us were involved in Mahiru’s murder’.

‘The four of us also spotted Hiyoko running out of the beach house’, Ibuki nodded.

‘And Gundham, Sonia and I saw her from the diner, so we have alibis too’, I scratched my head, ‘So remind me again, who else was near the crime scene?’

‘I remember seeing Fuyuhiko standing near the diner’, Gundham reminded me, ‘Although that doesn’t necessarily prove he was at the beach house, suspicious as I am’.

'Peko turned up shortly after the four girls arrived, soaking wet’, Sonia pointed out.

‘Hang on a second…’ Chiaki’s eyes narrowed, ‘Why didn’t we catch a glimpse of you Peko?’

‘What are you talking about?’ Peko frowned, ‘I was out surfing! It was fairly dark out and I was wearing a black wetsuit. It would have been difficult to spot me in the dark ocean don’t you think?’

‘I dunno… I’m not sure if even someone with your capabilities can manage a surfing trip around an entire island. If you ask me, it sounds more like a convenient cover up story’.

‘Oh no… it can’t be…’ Akane still distressed after reliving her horrific memories cried out, ‘Peko, this has to be a lie! Tell them you didn’t do it!’ Peko remained strangely silent, however.

‘Yeah, thinking about it. You were the only one near the scene who was well… wet. Almost like you decided to take a little shower’, I pointed in Peko’s direction, who still said nothing.

‘Come on Peko cut that shit out!’ Tora protested, ‘Say something, anything!’

‘It must have been quite easy to wash off the blood in a slippery suit too, don’t you reckon?’

‘How could have she escaped though?!’ protested Akane.

‘She has a point’, to my disbelief, Fuyuhiko intervened, ‘There’s no way she could have climbed up to that window on her own surely?!’

‘Unless…’ pondered Chiaki, ‘Someone or something helped her climb up’.

‘What could it have been though?’ I scratched my head, ‘Hey, what are you looking at me for?’

‘Think carefully Hajime’, Chiaki told me, ‘What could possibly be tall enough to get her up there?’

‘Shit! Why is it always me?’ 

‘Come on! We don’t want this to take as long as an RPG grind session now, do we?!’

‘Ugh fine!’ I rolled my eyes, ‘Crap…’ for what seemed like minutes I felt the stares of the others and the malicious grin of the bear upon me as my brain ached in its search for a liable answer, ‘Ah ha!’ a light clicked on in my head, ‘I think I have this figured out!’

‘What could you possibly have in mind?’ Peko responded coolly.

‘Your sword bag of course. I mean, don’t you carry that thing around with you everywhere?’

‘Yes’.

‘And I bet you lured Mahiru and Hiyoko to the beach house by writing down different meeting times on the letter. When the former arrived, you killed her and when the latter stepped inside, you drugged her from behind before placing her unconscious body in a box. You then fled the scene but not before propping up Mahiru’s body against the back door, preventing Hiyoko from taking that escape route when she finally woke up. That was some effective murder planning right there, had you not left blood in the shower, I may even describe it as ingenious’.

‘So, what do you say to that one?’ Nagito smirked.

‘How does this even make sense?!’ blurted out Akane, ‘What motive would she even have for killing Mahiru. You never harboured any sort of grudge against her, did you?’

‘Not initially’, Peko replied coolly, ‘but then I discovered the truth on what happened all those years ago. Mahiru knew of Sato’s sins, yet she said nothing. Even though Sato herself would perish, the world would never know of her crimes. It was then that I knew that justice had to be served’.

‘Peko what the fuck are you doing?!’ I turned around to see Fuyuhiko, watching with a mixture of rage and fear as she pulled out the familiar looking samurai mask and placed it on.

‘What on earth is the frightening thing?!’ cried Monomi.

‘Sparkling Justice? Is it really you?!’ Sonia gasped.

‘It is my duty to bring about justice to the world, no matter the cost!’ Peko yelled, ‘If the authorities will not bring down the hammer of justice, then I will!’

‘Peko stop this at once!’ Fuyuhiko yelled as he clutched at his head.

‘You must understand that I only seek to do what is right! So, I did! Those who withhold vital information concerning evildoers are just as evil, yet they so often go unpunished, therefore I had to take action!’

‘You didn’t have to bring me into it, you heartless bitch!’ Hiyoko protested.

‘Indeed, how can you benefit from using a mere child for such a scheme?’ Gundham bared his teeth, ‘As irritating and brainless as she is, where is the justice in that?!’

‘Sometimes sacrifices must be made for righteousness to prevail’, Peko uttered.

‘Peko, stop! I swear to God, just stop already!’ Fuyuhiko pleaded.

‘Sorry Fuyuhiko, but I must do this for humanity’s sake, as nobody else will’.

‘Snap out of it! Seriously, come back your senses… please…’ he choked up as the rest of the class stared in shock and horror at the scene before them. I wondered why Fuyuhiko of all people would be so distraught at this particular revelation as the bear got to his feet.

‘Well it looks like we have gotten ourselves a confession at least’, he smirked, ‘Say Hajime, why don’t you do your thing?’

Still staring in disbelief at Peko’s display I once again cleared my throat before reluctantly going forward with my summary, ‘Okay… I guess we should get this over with. Here is what happened in this case!

In order to get their victim in the place they wanted and ultimately frame another individual, the killer sent out fake letters to Mahiru and Hiyoko, listed with differing meeting times. This gave the murderer a convenient timeslot for their plan. At 7:45pm Mahiru arrived at the beach house. Within that time gap, she was murdered by means of impalement, most likely ambushing her from the storage cupboard, where the murder weapon, a javelin was kept.

At 8pm, Hiyoko turned up, as planned. Seconds after coming across Mahiru’s body, she was drugged from behind, and her unconscious body was placed in a box used to store surfboards. In the meantime, the killer propped up Mahiru’s body against the back door to prevent escape via that route and ensuring that Hiyoko left evidence of her presence through her footprints. They also placed a Cyber Pony toy at the scene, albeit unknowing of Hiyoko’s purist attitude when it comes to collecting them. The killer then entered the shower room, washed off the blood and propped up their trusty sword bag to get up to the high window and make their escape.

The killer made two mistakes, however. First, in their flight, they left a small amount of blood behind. It was only a few drops, but it was enough to pinpoint the murderer’s route and goal. Also compared to everyone else at the scene, they were sopping wet.

As good as your little story was Peko Pekoyama, it wasn’t good enough!’

‘Are you all finished then?’ Peko asked bluntly.

‘Peko no!’ Fuyuhiko’s eyes filled with tears, ‘Please…’

‘Why?’ Tora tapped her arm rapidly with her finger, ‘Why did you have to resort to this?’

‘Well little cubs’, Monokuma stood on his hind legs, ‘We don’t have long to wait! Are you ready to start the voting then?’ we begrudgingly nodded as the stone plinths rose up. 

For the second time, we were forced to write the name down of the condemned in our blood, the sickening feeling of guilt causing us far more pain than the blood ritual itself. Indeed, I could see tears filling Akane’s and Tora’s eyes as they wrote the second blackened’s name upon the slate. 

The plinths descended and we looked up as the demonic bear conjured up another fireball, this time morphing into Peko’s blazing lookalike.

‘Now then little cubs! Is this the culprit we have been looking for all this time?’ Again, there was nothing but a deathly silence, ‘I take that as a resounding yes!’ The bear clapped his paws and Peko’s fiery form turned into a pile of ash upon the ground. To my surprise however he said nothing, no shitty one liners, no gloating, nothing, just his wide, horrible grin.

‘Ugh Monokuma, are you gonna say your thing or not?’ frowned Nekomaru.

‘Yeah what the Hell is going on?’ Ibuki chimed in.

‘We didn’t... guess wrongly did we?’ I clapped my hands to my mouth, my heart sinking.

‘I dunno’, the bear yawned, ‘what do you think?’

‘You aren’t just leaving us in limbo here are you?!’ but Monokuma ignored me as he reached for his popcorn bag and being eating from it again.

‘Seriously Monokuma this isn’t funny!’ yelled Tora. 

My however attention had turned to Fuyuhiko and Peko, the latter had taken off her mask, giving a blank expression and a grin nearly as wide as the bear’s, unlike his however there was a look of acceptance in her expression.

‘Peko, I beg you’, he cried, ‘It was my fault, I was the one who organised it. My anger got the better of me and you paid the price for it… please let me take the fall’.

‘I cannot let you do that’, Peko murmured.

‘What the Hell?’ Akane rounded on Fuyuhiko, ‘What the fuck are you even talking about?’

‘I never had the opportunity to appreciate all you have done for me’, Fuyuhiko held out his arms, ‘Allow me to finally show the full extent of my gratitude’.

‘It was my duty to protect you, and now I have completed my duty’, Peko turned away, her face still curved into a painful smile, ‘That was my purpose wasn’t it? A mere tool!’

‘Hang on a moment…’ I turned to face the two of them, ‘So let me get this straight, you orchestrated this whole thing? You beat the game then hired a hitman to carry out the murder?’ But Fuyuhiko still payed no attention as he desperately called out.

‘No Peko, you were always so much more than that. You weren’t just a friend to me, you were family! We have been through so much, please don’t let it end like this…’

‘Ever since I was brought into the Kuzuryuu clan as an abandoned infant, my purpose was to grow up alongside you, to serve and protect you no matter what, even at the cost of my life. I am disposable, replaceable, my life’s purpose is to protect the clan with my blood, that is why I am a tool’.

‘Does that mean…?’ Chiaki clapped her hands, ‘Peko was the mystery girl?’

‘Seems like it’, I sighed, ‘I mean she used similar tactics in both the murder cases, right?’

‘At this point I cannot think of any other possibility...'

‘Whatever the case, we are in a most complicated situation to say the least’, Nagito commented.

‘Shit… so who was the real murderer? The hitman or client?’ I looked at Monokuma, ‘Help me out here you hairy bastard!’

‘Oh my God, rude!’ the bear stopped munching on his popcorn, ‘Do you wretched kids even know the meaning of patience?’ he smirked, ‘Seriously, though, what’s your opinion? I’m very curious!’

‘While Fuyuhiko was the one who planned the killing’, I clenched my fists as my eyes watered, ‘yet it was Peko who delivered the killing blow. So effectively Fuyuhiko was the accomplice’.

‘Interesting… but yes…’ the others jerked their heads towards the bear as he looked towards the ceiling, where what seemed to be a large screen descended on metal chains. Upon it was the interior of the beach house where Mahiru stood face to face with an enraged Fuyuhiko.

‘What is the meaning of this you fiend?’ she asked, hands on her hips.

‘You know damn well why I summoned you’, Fuyuhiko’s teeth were clenched, ‘I want answers, answers as to why the rightful heir of the Kuzuryuu clan was so brutally murdered’.

‘I had nothing to do with it! I condemned Sato’s actions, surely you know that?’

‘Indeed, yet you kept it all hushed up, just like a true friend would huh?!’

‘Look, it wasn’t my fault that she decided to come to me about the matter, but even if I did approach the authorities, who knows what kind of danger I would have been in?’

‘Natsumi was everything to me, and that little bitch snuffed her out in her prime!’

‘I get it! But whatever the case, you shouldn’t have murdered that girl!’

‘For fuck’s sake! Do you even know who I am?!’

‘A murderer, that’s what you are!’

‘I’m a fucking Kuzuryuu! If anyone decides to fuck with us, we fuck them right back!’ Don't you get that?!',he pulled out a silver knife from his pocket, causing Mahiru to back away towards the storage room door’.

‘You wouldn’t dare, surely!? Not even Yakuza scum like you!’ her lip twitched.

‘What makes you think I wouldn’t hurt you, and make you feel the pain I felt? Knowing about this terrible injustice yet refusing to do anything about it surely makes you no better than the murderer?’

‘The sister you love was little more than a bloodthirsty killer, what makes you so much better?’

He held the knife to her throat, ‘Go on try me! You know you want to?’

‘Why the Hell did you bring me here anyway? Akane was the one who killed Natsumi was she not?’

‘I was tempted to summon Akane here, my trusty assistant has… feelings for her. It would have been easy for me, easy as encouraging a dog to eat a hunk of meat laced with poison. But I realised she only did it out of desperation, she was only a tool. The real enemy and the biggest threat to the clan is the one who sent her out’.

‘Wait, you have… an assist…’ her words were cut short as Peko emerged suddenly from the cupboard. She rammed the javelin into Mahiru’s chest with so much force that she could barely scream as she began to choke up blood. We watched as the Ultimate photographer fell in the manner of a puppet cut from its strings, laying sprawled out on the floor.

‘Peko, what have you done?!’ Fuyuhiko cried, ‘If you get found out…’

‘My purpose is to serve and protect you master, I was merely fulfilling my duty’, Peko replied, her wetsuit now covered in Mahiru’s blood.

‘But it can’t end like this… not after all we have been through…’

‘Go!’ she opened the back door, ‘Hurry! You need to get out of here before Hiyoko turns up!’

‘Peko….’ Fuyuhiko’s eyes brimmed with tears, ‘Don’t do this…’

‘Go!’ she snapped as Fuyuhiko reluctantly turned to flee and the screen faded to black.

‘As much as I admire you trying to worm your way out of the island Fuyuhiko, Peko was ultimately the blackened in this case. Even if your ingenious plan did work, Peko would still suffer the accomplice’s curse had she escaped with you. You claim to love her as a friend and brother, but you sure are willing to put her through a lot of suffering for your selfish ends. Where is the love in that?’ the bear laughed, causing the room to shake, ‘Whatever the case, Peko is now my prey and it’s all because of you. I mean, wasn’t it a little cowardly of you to not take care of Mahiru yourself?’

‘You are right Monokuma’, Fuyuhiko’s face turned blank, ‘The reason why I hate cowards is because deep down, I knew that I was one myself. I took advantage of the poor and desperate, paying them with just enough resources to survive but not enough to leave my service. They became dependent on me, and often died on the streets on my behalf. My subordinates looked to me like a god, but it was nothing more than a façade, to hide how weak I really am... Why did it have to come to this? Why must the burden of leadership fall upon me? Natsumi was chosen for a reason, she got shit done, unlike me'.

‘You are not weak master’, Peko told him, ‘the fault is mine. If I were more careful, I wouldn’t have dragged you into this. I am a mere tool however, and I have served my purpose. The Kuzuryuu’s took me in as a mere welp and raised me alongside you. For that I couldn’t have asked for more. But now it finally time to pay my debts for the clan’s generosity and the ultimate price for my folly’.

‘No Peko…’ Fuyuhiko wept, ‘You were like a second sister to me. I don’t know how I will be able to live without you, let alone as the clan leader’.

‘But you must master! I have protected you since childhood, but my time is up, and you must take this opportunity to shine on your own. It is time to become an adult Fuyuhiko, and like any tool, there comes a time you must grow out of it, now is that time for me’.

‘I don’t care about the clan. I don’t want this, I just want you to be at my side. I don’t care what it takes, even if we have to run away and become dead men walking’.

‘Even if you wanted that Fuyuhiko, you can’t now’, the bear loomed over him, ‘because punishment time is drawing near, and I don’t want to wait much longer!’

‘No please, kill me instead! I was the one who orchestrated the whole thing. Peko shouldn’t have to pay for my stupidity’.

‘Well then! Maybe you should have considered that before making her your sacrificial lamb!’

‘Peko…’ Akane murmured, ‘As part of my farewell you should know that I never saw you as a tool or anything of the sort. I love you, and you didn’t deserve any of this’.

‘Actually, I do. You see Akane, I was the one who killed Riku’, she replied, staring down at the floor.

‘No’, Akane cried, ‘Oh God no… someone tell me I’m going mad! Please help!’ As she broke down, we saw the familiar metal cage descend onto the courtroom floor, which Peko walked towards as though an invisible force was dragging her inside.

‘I am sorry master’, Peko spoke as her prison slowly ascended, ‘Don’t forget what I said!’

‘Peko!’ Fuyuhiko called out desperately.

‘Well go on then little cubs, hop on into the elevator so we can watch the fun!’ he pointed one of his giant paws towards it. One by one, we shuffled inside. 

On the journey we stood as still as statues as we awaited the inevitable, expect for Fuyuhiko who was desperately pounding on the elevator door with his fist.

When we approached the second execution chamber however, a scene of serene beauty fell upon us. What we came across was a picturesque Japanese landscape with blossoming Sakura trees, tall snow-capped, mountains in the background and above it all a red rising sun. There was an incoming darkness approaching however, this was especially felt by Peko who stood by a makeshift dojo, slowly unsheathing her sword as the sound of metallic limbs drew closer. For a second time the crude neon sign came down on chains from the ceiling, this time reading, 'Execution for Peko Pekoyama, the Ultimate Swordswoman: Live by the Sword, Die by the Sword'.

It was at that moment when a giant automaton in Samurai armour stepped out, almost blocking the sun entirely, and a large shadow was cast over the place. Peko despite being dwarfed and surely outmatched in comparison nevertheless charged at the thing with a fearless, almost determined expression upon her face.

The two of them were now locked in battle, the giant metal Samurai warrior slashing at her with a sword of its own, almost as big as it was. A pang of hope ran through us as the automaton swiped at the swordswoman as though she was a fly but missed. Peko was even able to climb up the giant, taking a swing at various spots and jumping down before it could do any harm to her. 

After a while however, our hopes faded as despite her quickness and agility, Peko was clearly no match for the Samurai giant, and she was getting tired. Fuyuhiko could see this too as the swordswoman dodged each blow increasingly clumsier and slower as her exhaustion kicked in.

‘No!’ before we could react or pull him back Fuyuhiko bolted into the chamber, making a dash for Peko as the giant rose its sword in the air. 

We closed our eyes as we heard the whoosh of the blade coming down upon the two of them. Upon seeing the damage, it appeared that Peko had managed to pull Fuyuhiko back from behind, clutching his eye. Our hearts sank however as we noticed blood dripping between his fingertips. 

Before we could properly react, the samurai giant rose its sword above him, preparing for the killing blow. As though by instinct Peko leapt in front of the blade, shielding him.

It happened in mere seconds, we watched in horror as the samurai giant plunged its sword through Peko’s heart, impaling her in a very similar manner to Mahiru’s death. 

Knowing that its purpose was finally served, the giant pulled its sword out of Peko’s body and trudged away slowly. As it did so, a gravely injured Fuyhiko in the manner of a child clutched at his friend’s lifeless body, which soaked the grass below with red. 

His desperate sobs echoed throughout the room, and together most of us joined him in his grief before the bear approached and he fainted, lying at Peko’s side. Monomi staggered behind the beast, her eyes filling with silent tears as she gently nudged Peko’s body in vain.

‘In most circumstances I would usually punish the accomplice’, Monokuma loomed over the two bodies, ‘but I think Fuyuhiko already got what he deserved, don’t you?’

‘He needs medical attention!’ Mikan ran over to him, taking his pulse, ‘Now!’

‘Very well then!’ the bear purred as Nekomaru bent down and carefully lifted Fuyuhiko’s limp form into his arms, ‘I trust you can patch him up ready for the next round Mikan, because you are going to have to prepare yourself for the third round, otherwise the fun may be a little too intense for you! Anyway once again little cubs, sayonara!’

We had no choice but to leave Peko’s broken body at the mercy of the bear as we filed out of the exit one by one, hoping, praying that we would allow no more deaths to occur on the island. But as was to be expected, we were later to be proven wrong.


	10. Part 3: A Dance of Death, Day 1 Normal Island Life

For the second time we filed out of the cave. A chilling silence hovering around us as we tried to contemplate the horrible events that had just occurred. 

Finally, the deathly silence was broken when we reached the lodge. Nekomaru lay down Fuyuhiko’s limp form on one of the tables. Mikan pulled out a first aid kit from her backpack, grabbed a pair of scissors and started to cut away at his clothing. He was so covered in blood that we could barely see his gang tattoos beneath. She then fished out some surgical needles and thread.

‘How is he?’ Mikan asked Nekomaru, as she began to stitch up his wounds with surprising calmness. Indeed, as her Twilight Syndrome game impersonation had implied, she carried out her work as though Fuyuhiko’s body was merely a work bench.

‘He’s burning up’, he sighed as he felt his forehead, ‘Jesus… that eye wound looks nasty’.

‘Yes…’ Mikan nodded. She fetched a bucket and soaked a cloth in warm water, dabbing at his numerous injuries, ‘I will do what I can, but I fear he will remain blind in that eye forever’. After a while, as she began to apply bandages Nekomaru murmured,

‘Do you think he’s going to…’ 

‘He is still young. If he survives tonight, then I am optimistic that he will pull through’, she did what she could to bandage his eye, ‘He has lost a lot of blood however so I will need to get him hooked up. The transfusion will take a few hours at least. That time period will be the most critical’, she pulled out a blood packet, ‘Thankfully the drug store on the second island stocked a few of them’.

‘Thank fuck’, Nekomaru wheezed as he gently lifted up Fuyuhiko into his arms a second time and slowly made his way upstairs, Mikan trailing along behind him.

‘Nekomaru and I will watch over him tonight’, she called back to us, ‘Look after yourselves in the meantime’.

We all stood there for what seemed like ages, not uttering a word, until Chiaki broke the silence.

‘I think we should head back to the beach to say farewell to Mahiru and Peko’.

‘Yes’, Tora rubbed at her eyes, ‘Of course…’

‘Peko murdered Mahiru in cold blood’, Hiyoko protested, ‘Why should we honour her?’

‘Her mind was warped since childhood Hiyoko’, I explained, ‘If she had not been brought up in such a way, then I am sure this never would have happened’.

‘Indeed, being raised alongside wolves is bound to fuck with your brain’, agreed Gundham.

As we walked out of the lodge, we noticed that one of our number remained rooted on the spot.

‘Aren’t you coming along with us Akane?’ questioned Chiaki.

‘Nah…’ looking closer, I could see that her face was blank and the determined spark in her eyes had flickered out and died, ‘You guys can go on without me…’

‘Come on Akane’, begged Ibuki, ‘even after everything, it’s all still in the past, right?’

‘I’m sorry’, she murmured, ‘It's not as simple as that... I just can’t…’ she then turned on her heel and headed upstairs.

‘Damn, poor Akane’, Nagito shook his head, ‘How unlucky do you have to be to end up in her situation? Then again, she did end up killing someone’.

‘I suppose Fuyuhiko and Akane are even now huh?’ Tora took out a cigar from her pocket, ‘Still, knowing that your crush killed your brother… I mean, I know she was under orders but… shit!’

‘Are you okay Hiyoko?’ Ibuki asked her calmly.

‘What the Hell do you think?!’ she cried angry tears, ‘How do you think it feels Ibuki?!’

‘Oh no… I didn’t mean it that way…’ 

‘I don’t think any of us can comprehend the amount of pain you must be in right now Hiyoko’, Sonia placed a hand on her shoulder, ‘but you should understand that we will be around if you ever need us. I’m sure it’s what Mahiru would have wanted’.

‘How do you know what she wanted when I never even got to say goodbye?’, Hiyoko sobbed.

We didn’t know what else to say as we made a bonfire and bid Mahiru and Peko our final farewells.

‘Goodbye Peko’, Tora uttered, ‘I don’t think I ever knew a woman as brave as you’.

‘And goodbye Mahiru’, Chiaki spoke, ‘Without your wisdom I don’t know how we will carry on. But I hope you and Peko will help to guide us through these troubled times’. 

We held a minute of silence before we slowly departed back to the lodge. Hiyoko had cried so much that the sounds she was making had been reduced to a quiet sniffling.

‘C’mon dearie’, Tora placed a hand on her shoulder, ‘I’m sure Mahiru would want you to keep fighting on if she was still with us’.

‘I guess so…’ she sniffed.

‘You’ve been through a lot Hiyoko’, Sonia agreed, ‘if I were you, I’d get some rest, you look dreadful’.

‘Well… see you in the morning I suppose…’

As we waved her off, I noticed Sonia and Gundham comforting each other in a tight embrace before they too followed her back to the safety of the lodge.

‘This night has been a dark one’, Gundham spoke as he gestured for his crows to fly over and Sonia took his hand, ‘but remember that the dawn will always follow, no matter how long it may take’.

Nagito approached me, ‘So… I guess this means I’m not under house arrest anymore?’

‘I see no reason for it’, I sighed as his face lit up, ‘And I suppose we will get fucked over regardless of whether you are in the picture.

‘Thank goodness… I mean, it was getting kind of lonesome you know…’

‘Just no more funny business’, I raised an eyebrow, ‘You can keep your nutjob beliefs, just don’t force them onto us, understand?!’

‘In the long term I cannot be certain that I will be able to stick to such an obligation, but for the time being, I make sure to keep my head down’, Nagito bowed smiling, ‘You have my word’.

‘You had better’, I clenched my fists, ‘It would be best if you stayed out of our way, for our safety, as well as yours’.

‘Aw come on Hajime!’ whined Nagito, ‘I helped you during the last investigation, surely you owe me something in return for my generosity?’

‘Your freedom’, I turned my back on him, ‘That should be enough after all the shit you pulled earlier, right? Maybe it’s me who you should be thanking Nagito’.

‘Okay, I suppose you win this time…’ he grumbled, ‘but one day, I will be the one who has the upper hand’, his eyes became fixated on the volcano, ‘the rapture is approaching’. A few uncomfortable seconds later Nagito waved in my direction quite jovially and bowed, ‘Good night, Hajime’, before heading towards the lodge with a spring in his step.

As I walked under the moon’s light however, there was still a chill in my spine. Even when I finally stepped into the warmth of the lodge, I continued to feel it.

‘Hey Hajime, are you alright?’ I turned around to see Chiaki, sitting at one of the tables.

‘I guess so… I’m still getting over the shock of everything though’.

‘Yeah me too’, she sighed, ‘but we cannot dwell on it forever. We need to remain focused if we are to survive and ultimately stop Todd’s wicked deeds’.

‘So… you are still continuing the quest for Todd then?’

‘You bet I am! In fact, I’m now more determined than ever!’ she yawned. I reached out to grab her as she got up and almost crashed onto the floor.

‘Come on, let’s get some much-needed shuteye already!’

‘You don’t say!’ she spoke in a slightly slurred tone as she began to drift off, and I was forced to drag her to her room, ‘Anyway… nighty night Hajime!’

‘Good night Chiaki’, I yawned myself as I waved her off, entered my own bedroom and collapsed into the safety of the warm bed sheets.

When the sun shone through my window the next day, I pulled on some clothes and made my way to the dining room. Looking around there were a few notable absences, most worryingly Akane who was usually here first to get first dibs in the fridge.

‘Um… hello Hajime’, I turned around to see Mikan and Nekomaru with shadows under their eyes.

‘Mikan!’ I darted up to her, ‘How is Fuyuhiko?’

‘The blood transfusion went better than I expected’, she wiped the sweat from her brow, ‘Unfortunately I wasn’t able to save his eye, but apart from that, things are looking good’.

‘Thank God… Well Mikan, you did what you could’.

‘Yeah, you did a great job’, Nekomaru reassured her before explaining, ‘he is still sleeping right now but he should hopefully be walking and talking soon’, he bowed his head, ‘I just hope my pal Akane is okay, I haven’t seen her since last night’.

‘You haven’t seen her either?’

‘I was gonna ask you the same thing…’

‘Then again, that must have been a lot for her to take in...’

‘Yeah…’ Nekomaru sighed, ‘Well shit… I had better go and check on her’.

As he ascended back up the stairs, I heard Mikan gasp. When I turned around to see what it was, I understood why. Some kind of shrine had been set up. Surrounded by animal bones and many candles, it resembled something Satanic.

‘What the Hell is this?!’ I jumped back, ‘Hang on a second…’ I stepped closer and noticed a board had been set up. Upon it were many photos depicting our life so far on the island.

‘Who would make such terrible thing?’ cried Sonia as she emerged behind me.

‘Yeah, who decided this would be a good aesthetic?!’ scoffed Ibuki.

‘I don’t know why you are all freaking out. It just looks like a tacky Halloween decoration’, shrugged Tora.

‘I like it’, Gundham shrugged, ‘to me it is a reminder that death is all around us. It is an expression of how precious, yet short life is, and how it can be snuffed out in the blink of an eye’.

‘I’m sure you’re a delight to have at parties Gundham’, Chiaki uttered.

‘You ignorant mortals never understand. Given that many animals in my care live a short lifespan, treasuring the little lifeblood they have is more important than ever!'

‘As much as I hate to say it, he’s right’, Tora sighed, ‘Being someone in the racing profession, death’s door is always around each and every turn’.

‘They are right, we are all going to die eventually so we might as well get used to that prospect, especially in our current situation’, Nagito nodded.

‘You miserable idiots!’ we turned around to see Hiyoko, her kimono was noticeably tied backwards, ‘Can’t you see that it’s dedicated to Mahiru? She was snatched too early. This isn’t normal, why can’t any of you understand that?’

‘I don’t think they saw it that way Hiyoko’, I said, ‘It’s just that your stylistic choice… it got us all questioning a few things. None of us are trying to trivialise Mahiru’s death here’.

‘Hiyoko… um…’ Chiaki raised an eyebrow, ‘Do you need help with your kimono?’

‘No!’ Hiyoko snapped before she choked up tears, ‘I mean, no, I can take care of myself…’ she then scurried off back upstairs, just as Nekomaru appeared.

‘How is Akane?’ I asked.

‘Not great’, he sighed, ‘she’s still struggling to take in everything that occurred in the last trial’.

‘Yeah I imagine. Nevertheless, I do hope she comes out soon, or at least gets a bite to eat’.

‘So, what shall we do now then?’ questioned Chiaki.

‘Access has been granted to another island’, Tora brought up, ‘Believe me, it’s nothing like you’ve seen before so far. It’s still very picturesque though and I bet Mahiru would have loved it, I'm sure she would have snapped some great landscapes...’

‘So, what exactly does this island contain?’

‘I won’t spoil it for you. But fair warning, you should probably make sure to bring something warm for when we get up there’, she winked.

Slightly confused, we all went to our rooms to fish out the warmest clothes we could find before setting off for the next bridge, sweating under the sun in fleeces, mittens, scarves and woolen hats.

‘I hope you are right about this Tora’, Sonia panted underneath a thick military trench coat, ‘This is most undignified for a princess!’

‘I understand how you feel princess’, Ibuki’s face was very pink, ‘But I kind of don’t want you to take that off, I have a weakness for women in uniforms you see’.

‘I do not feel the warmth, for my heart is full of ice and my blood runs cold’, Gundham walked on rather casually, wearing a long black Gothic coat. His crows fought with some angry seagulls over a putrid carcass of a small shark that washed up overnight.

‘This had better be good!’ Nekomaru huffed as we reached the third bridge.

This ‘bridge’ was different. To our surprise we saw that it was a ski lift heading upwards. Indeed, in the distance we could make out some snow topped mountains. They were still smaller than the volcano however which continued to loom over us.

‘No way!’ I gasped. We all hopped into one of the pods after Gundham had to whistle for his crows to come back, bits of shark meat hanging from their beaks. Soon enough we were slowly ascending over the ocean. 

Approaching the third island, the air became thick with snow and we began to not regret wearing such thick attire. Upon stepping out we felt the temperature dramatically drop as the cold breeze hit our faces like a sledgehammer. 

‘Oh my God! Has Christmas come early?’ Ibuki shrieked in delight.

‘I feel like I’m in fucking Narnia!’ I gasped.

‘General Winter, how did you follow me all the way here?’ Sonia said, awestruck, ‘Still I finally feel at home! When it is snowing back in Novoselic, the royal family goes out for sleigh rides! If we escape, I will make sure to invite you all along!’

‘The snow a pain in the arse for the rest of us though, especially when we have day jobs and the roads and pavements are thick with black ice’, Nekomaru shook his head.

'Yeah I nearly broke my neck slipping on some black ice once!' Ibuki exclaimed. 

‘Look over there!’ Chiaki pointed, ‘There’s a ski lodge over there, lets head inside!’ 

‘Yeah let’s’, Nagito shivered, ‘I’m going to catch my death out here!’

We trudged through the snow, past a large frozen lake, until we reached the cosy wooden cabin. It was smaller than the one on the main island but just as welcoming. After filing inside we all decided to settle down on the comfy chairs, surrounded by elaborate patchwork designs on the walls and a roaring fire making the wooden building extra toasty.

‘Damn, this is more like it!’ I stretched out where I sat.

‘This feels like one of the many taverns across Skyrim’, Chiaki yawned, ‘A place to go after a lot of intense action and emotional toll’.

‘Unless you are assigned by the Dark Brotherhood to murder someone in their sleep of course’, Gundham smirked as his crows shook snow from their feathers and huddled around their master.

‘Speaking of which, is there any booze around here?’ I looked around.

‘And music’, Ibuki chimed in, ‘Maybe this place has something I could work with!’ she got up and began to look around while the rest of us continued to talk.

‘I hope Akane decides to come out of her room’, sighed Nekomaru, ‘I’m sure she would like it here. Then again, I cannot force her…’

‘Yeah, we should let her handle all this on her own terms’, I nodded, ‘Same with Hiyoko’.

‘When they decide to come out, perhaps we should organise a sleepover here to take their mind off things? Even if they don’t entirely cheer up, it’s the least we can do for them’, suggested Chiaki.

‘That sounds like a great idea!’, beamed Tora, ‘Nothing warms me up like some s’mores by the fire’.

‘Chiaki you are a genius!’ Sonia clapped her hands, ‘Being a princess I was never given a chance to have a sleepover like the other girls! We will have so much fun together! I wish the royal chefs were here, then I could provide with you with little bowls of the finest caviar straight from the palace kitchens’.

‘Um… actually Sonia, we are probably just going to have pizza’, Chiaki shrugged.

‘Y’know, actual food’, I said coolly.

‘I don’t even like caviar’, Tora shook her head, ‘since I’m often invited to parties hosted by rich figureheads within the racing industry, I have subjected myself to it quite a lot. I don't miss it for a second!’

‘Oh dear… well it appears as though I still have a lot to learn huh?’ Sonia laughed weakly.

‘It’s criminal that you have never tried pizza!’ Chiaki gasped, ‘Unless it has pineapple on top, then that’s perfectly understandable!’

‘I dunno, I can’t eat pizza without a little pineapple sprinkled here and there’, Nagito grinned much to Chiaki's dismay.

At that moment however we heard a scream coming from a nearby room. As we drastically got up to investigate the source, Ibuki came running back in, a wide smile on her face.

‘I don’t believe it!’ she cried with delight, ‘Well what are you waiting for? Come and see for yourselves!’ we had little choice to follow her as she led us down into the basement.

‘What is this, some kind of ritual chamber?’ frowned Gundham.

‘Ta da!’ Ibuki gestured towards none other than a stage, ‘This is heaven!’

While it was relatively small, the concert hall looked like a decent place for a nightly gathering, with several round tables looking up at the stage, and there was a bar at the back. There were even several vintage arcade machines lining the walls and a large pool table.

‘This is pretty fucking neat actually’, I nodded as I looked around.

‘Damn it!’ Chiaki had made a beeline to the arcade machines and tried rattling each of them slightly before giving up, ‘I was hoping they would have some of the classics on these y’know? Don’t get me wrong, a lot of modern games have their merits, but in our current age where everything is so focused on ‘pride and accomplishment’, I just want to revisit some of the good old classics like Donkey Kong, Tetris or Pacman. Hell, I won’t even mind if they only have Space Invaders or just goddamn pong, they are like old friends to me’.

‘Yeah I get that feeling too’, I sighed, ‘I miss playing a lot of the old PC games before mobile gaming companies decided pick them up, only to exploit their mechanics for extra cash. I hate to say it, but sometimes things were better back in the ‘good old days’’.

‘Then again I suppose there’s the equal possibility these things could have had some stinkers on them’, she shrugged, ‘I’m not so blinded by nostalgia that I have forgotten about laughing joking numbnuts!’

'What the fuck are you saying?!' I scratched my head.

‘Hey guys!’ I saw Tora wave in our direction, ‘The blizzard has passed! How about we take the opportunity to use the mountain to our advantage!’

‘I haven’t been skiing for a long time’, sighed Nagito, ‘My parents and I used to go on skiing holidays in the mountains before they…’

‘Jesus… I’m so sorry’, I clapped a hand to my mouth as we went to the equipment room where many skis and snowboards were stored, ‘I didn’t know’.

‘Yeah… it was most unfortunate. My family and I were flying over the Pacific Ocean when a meteorite crashed into the plane’.

‘Seriously? That’s pretty unlucky’, I didn't mention it out loud, but I began to regret the way I had treated him earlier, even if he really did deserve it.

‘I know right? You’d think a more appropriate title for me would be the Ultimate Unlucky Student!’ he laughed feebly, ‘Anyway I closed my eyes, amidst the screams of the passengers and the alarm, waiting for the inevitable impact. When it finally did come, I remember feeling weightless and I thought I was floating in the air. Upon waking up however, I found myself looking up at the stars upon a piece of metal debris’.

‘Then what happened?’

‘I was picked up by some local fishermen the next morning. I was brought back to their island and taken care of until contact could be made with the Japanese authorities. For a while after that, I was known as the luckiest person in all of Japan. While I lost everything that fateful night, I also gained everything, as a lot of things worked in my favour ever since. Alas… while it is a blessing, it is also a curse. I mean… at the end of the day, my luck was purely a product of circumstance not of talent. Upon being chosen to attend Hope’s Peak, I thought I was on the top of the world, but now that I’m surrounded by all these amazing prodigies, where do I fit into all this? I may win the lottery every week, but what skill is there in that?’ 

‘Well Nagito’, I put a hand on his shoulder, ‘At least you have something going on in your life. I haven’t got a damn clue why I’m here, or what I did to deserve it’.

‘Maybe that’s why you’ve been kinder to me than the others Hajime’, his cheeks went pink, ‘Perhaps we are more alike than you imagine, because I don’t really know why the Hell I’m here either!’ he laughed as we both grabbed some ski boots and a snowboard each.

‘Ooo I’m not sure if I’m ready for this’, Sonia said as she clumsily carried some skis outside, ‘In Novoselic the lakes freeze up, so I’m more used to ice skating as a pastime. The thick ice also naturally makes for some great ice fishing!’

Equipment in hand, we headed to the ski slope and prepared to set off, some of us eager to get going, others more apprehensive. 

‘I’m not so sure about this…’ Nekomaru looked down.

‘Are you guys ready?’ Tora announced as she strapped on her snowboard.

‘What? You never told us there would be a race!’ I gasped.

‘Ready, set, go!’ 

Before the rest of us could fully prepare ourselves, Tora had sped off down the mountain. 

‘Come on!’ Chiaki winked, ‘Let’s put Tora in her place!’

‘Wait what?!’ I turned to the side to see Chiaki skiing at a surprisingly rapid speed. Aside from Tora, she was also the only one to perform some sweet tricks on the ramps that had been set out.

‘Wow look at her go!’ Ibuki cried out as she rather clumsily zig zagged her way down.

‘This is most undignified!’ Sonia complained, looking back I saw the she had done the splits, ‘If the press were to see me in this compromising position...'

‘It’s alright my dark queen, we shall go at our own pace’, Gundham reassured her, helping her to get back on her feet before they drifted along slowly, hand in hand behind us.

‘See you on the other side!’ Tora laughed with glee, spraying those behind her with snow.

‘Not so fast!’ Chiaki yelled, ‘I will make you eat the dust like my opponents in Mario Kart!’

‘Oh, shit she’s serious!’ Nagito looked on astonished.

‘No kidding!’ my jaw dropped open.

We continued to kick up the snow as we swerved around trees, the cold wind rushing against our faces. Occasionally we could see snow bunnies galloping around us, while they bore some resemblance to Monomi however they lacked that heavenly aura. While Nagito and I managed to keep a decent pace, Tora had almost become a dot in front of us, but Chiaki was close on her tail.

‘How high can big dick energy get? Because Chiaki is off the charts right now!’ Nekomaru roared as the two dots rushed past the final two flag posts and waited for the rest of us to arrive.

‘Well that was fun!’ Chiaki yawned.

‘How did you do that?’ Tora panted as we made our back up a chairlift, ‘No seriously, how?!’

We decided to have a few more high-speed races down the hill before heading back to the main island for dinner. The warm weather upon our return felt particularly welcoming. 

When we arrived back at the beach, we saw Hiyoko sitting on a log, with a blank expression on her face.

‘Hey Hiyoko’, I walked up to her, ‘Why don’t you come and have dinner with us? Mahiru would not want you to be all alone like this’.

‘What’s the point?’, Hiyoko grumbled, ‘Now that she’s gone, what’s the point in anything?’

‘C’mon’, Tora sat down beside her, ‘You need to eat’.

‘She’s right Hiyoko’, Nekomaru nodded, ‘I know it’s hard, but if you don’t eat anything it will eventually become an addiction and that hunger will become harder to quell’.

‘I dunno’, she sighed, ‘I kind of just want to curl up and die’.

‘Please’, Ibuki begged, ‘I miss that fiery spirit of yours. Do you want that fire to burn out when you can instead use it to avenge Mahiru’s death? It’s what she admired you for after all!’

‘Fine…’ Hiyoko reluctantly stood up, ‘but only for a little while, understand?!’

‘It’s okay darling. We perfectly understand’, said Sonia as we slowly made our way back to the lodge. On the way we saw Mikan sitting on the patio.

‘Hey Mikan!’ waved Nagito, ‘How is Fuyuhiko?’

‘He wanted some alone time’, she explained, ‘he’s doing well overall though’.

‘That’s fantastic’, I beamed, ‘It looks like you’ve done an amazing job Mikan’.

‘Um… thanks!’ she giggled nervously as we stepped inside the dining room to eat.

As we ate, we told Hiyoko and Mikan about our adventures on the chilly third island and the high-speed races we had down it’s slippery slopes.

‘They have a concert hall down there you know’, Ibuki told them excitedly, ‘The plan is that we are all going to gather at the cabin tomorrow night so you can watch me perform’.

‘How does that solve anything?’ sighed Hiyoko.

‘Not much if I’m being honest, I merely wish to boost some morale around here’.

‘Then we are going to have a sleepover, and everyone is invited!’ Sonia beamed.

‘That doesn’t sound too dangerous at least’, Mikan grinned weakly, ‘at least it’s not as risky as the other antics you have been getting up to in that place’.

‘Relax Mikan’, Nekomaru cracked open a can of coke, ‘It’s safer than you think. Every fall you have is cushioned by several inches of snow’.

‘But what about hypothermia and frostbite? There’s still the risk of those right?’

Just as I was about to answer I heard a voice.

‘Um… hey guys!’ we looked towards the stairs and to our shock we saw none other than...

‘Fuyuhiko?!’ gasped Nagito.

‘You got a problem with that?’ he murmured as he took out a cigarette. His arm was in a sling and he had an eyepatch over his right eye, ‘But yes, it is me all the same’.

‘But your eye!’ cried Sonia.

‘What about it?’ he smirked, ‘This is nothing. In my walk of life, you are bound to lose something eventually. Besides, it just means my remaining eye is now keener!’ his smile quickly dropped however as Hiyoko stood up and rounded on him.

‘You have some nerve coming back here! You know that, right?’

‘I do’, he turned away from us, ‘As much pain as I have faced, it pales in comparison to the amount of suffering I have caused to you and others throughout my life’.

‘Oh, so we are going there, now are we?’ Hiyoko snapped, ‘You only admit now how much you have ruined people’s lives, it took Mahiru’s death for you to realise that?’

‘I suppose so yes. But now I know, it hurts in a way you cannot comprehend, especially knowing that I discarded a lifelong and faithful friend to do it. The pain cuts deep like no flesh wound can’.

‘Cut the pity party nonsense! You should have considered the pain I would feel before you and your tool brutally murdered Mahiru in cold blood and fucking framed me!’

‘Hiyoko!’ called out Ibuki, but it was no use.

‘You are right. And it pains me to know that it took Peko’s death for me to truly understand’, Fuyuhiko’s face contorted into a forced smile, much like Peko’s just before her execution.

‘Of course, it would’, tears ran down Hiyoko’s face, ‘You Yakuza vermin only start to care when someone who happens to be close to you is slain. Never mind the victims of your wickedness, or their broken families you leave behind in your wake. Hell, you were willing to let your own lackeys die in the street, just so long as your dear tool remained alive to cover your ass’.

‘Please stop…’ whimpered Mikan.

‘Come on Hiyoko, I think it’s time you went to bed’, I tried to ease the tension but in vain.

‘No!’ she cried angry tears, ‘This murdering scumbag just thinks he can waltz on in here after all the shit he’s done?! Do you think I’m just going to sit here and accept that?’

‘You are right’, Fuyuhiko closed his eyes and got onto his knees, ‘About everything. Alas… it seems I really do have no choice now do I? But it’s what I deserve after bringing about so much pain. A part of me wishes this could have gone differently, but now I realise it has to be this way’.

Before any of us could react, Fuyuhiko, still wearing his cold dead smile, pulled out a knife from his pocket and in one swift movement, rammed the blade into his stomach, sliding it across before keeling over, a crimson pool forming around him.

‘Oh my God!’ I yelled as we jumped back in horror and shock at the terrible scene, Mikan and Nekomaru once again rushing to his side.

‘What the devil is going on?’ I heard another voice I hadn't heard for some time. Upon seeing Fuyuhiko in the state he was in, Akane tore off part of her shirt with her bare fists and tied it tightly around his bleeding stomach.

‘Akane why are you of all people doing this?’ Hiyoko gasped.

‘Because after all the grief I caused him, I feel the least I can do is compensate for my past sins’.

‘Peko, Natsumi…’ Fuyuhiko croaked, blood dripping from his lips, ‘I can see you now!’

‘Nekomaru, Akane stay with me, the rest of you leave’, Mikan spoke in a surprisingly demanding voice and we all obliged without question.

‘I think I’m going to go to bed’, uttered Gundham in a forlorn manner, ‘We must leave those three to their devices’.

‘He’s right’, a now pale looking Sonia nodded, ‘we can’t stay here’.

‘Come on, let’s go to bed already’, Chiaki spoke up, ‘All we can do for the time being is wait. Fuyuhiko won’t get any better if we just stand around!’

‘Oh, how much more will have to suffer?’ Nagito spoke dramatically, ‘If only I was able to find a way sooner to put a stop to this madness’.

‘I think you are the mad one here Nagito’, I frowned, wondering why I had even bothered with him earlier. 

We returned to our rooms and thus were forced to wait a long and agonising night before we could hear of Fuyuhiko’s fate.


	11. Part 3: A Dance of Death, Day 2 Normal Island Life

After what felt like an eternity, we gathered downstairs to await news on Fuyuhiko.

‘I know he was little more than a criminal’, sighed Ibuki, ‘but like Peko and Akane, I doubt he would have done such terrible things had he not been raised in such an awful environment’.

‘Indeed’, agreed Chiaki, ‘If he survives this ordeal, it may be a good opportunity for him to consider reapplying the talents he possesses to do good in the world’.

‘Yeah, maybe he will work with some rehabilitation group or something’, I nodded, ‘I remember when a former gang member was invited to speak at my high school. He had adjusted so well into normal society that nobody believed upon first glance that he went down such a path’.

‘I dunno’, Tora stared out of the window, ‘I don’t want to sound like a pessimist, but as we saw with Peko, when you are raised in that kind of lifestyle, it’s hard to grow out of that mindset’.

‘It’s one thing to be recruited into the Yakuza, it’s another to be born into it’, Nagito nodded.

‘Of course, this all depends on whether he even survives in the first place’, Gundham murmured.

Sonia shuddered, ‘I don’t think I have seen that much blood. The only question I have is... why?’

‘I think we all know why’, Chiaki bowed her head.

At that moment we saw Akane step downstairs with shadows under her eyes, but I noticed that she had the faintest of smiles upon her face.

‘He’s alive, in case y’all are wondering’, she wiped the sweat from her brow, ‘He is sleeping. Mikan sat by his side, monitoring him all night’.

‘You have to admire her in a sense’, Tora spoke, ‘You can only imagine how many nights of sleep she has had to sacrifice during her nursing career…’

‘You have to give credit to those in the field of nursing’, Ibuki shrugged, ‘I gotta admit, willingly risking sleep deprivation to clear up blood and shit is admirable’.

‘It’s kind of ironic don’t you think?’ Nagito remarked, ‘In their duty to help save the lives of others, they are slowly shortening their own’.

‘As much as I hate to admit it Nagito, you have a point’, I rolled my eyes, ‘I swear I remember reading somewhere that long term sleep deprivation can be as bad as smoking!’

‘We honest to God thought that he wouldn’t make it for the first few hours’, Akane sighed, ‘His white bed sheets turned crimson within a matter of seconds of laying him there’.

‘Oh fuck… poor guy…’ 

‘Yeah, stopping the bleeding was definitely the hardest part of it all’, Nekomaru emerged behind her, ‘I mean, I’ve seen it happen to countless athletes in my career, but I have never seen a person bleed out as much as Fuyuhiko did…’

‘Well what do you expect if you slit your own stomach open?!’ Hiyoko frowned.

‘He tried to commit Seppuku, the Samurai’s execution’, I said, ‘He was always terrified of dishonouring his family’s image, ever since we first set forth on the island. The humiliation, guilt and grief he felt after his botched plan must have been his breaking point…’

‘I think it’s fair to say that he feared himself even more than we did’, Gundham nodded, ‘Then again I have experienced possibly more frightening things that this wretched earth has to offer …’ he stared blankly out of the window, clutching again at his bandaged arm.

‘Seriously Gundham are you okay?’ Sonia questioned worryingly, ‘You look rather pale’.

‘Oh no my Dark Queen! It’s not like that at all. I’m fine!’ he gave her an obviously forced grin.

‘Besides, doesn’t he always look pale?’ shrugged Hiyoko.

‘He’s right though’, I sighed, ‘while it is undeniable that the Yakuza has ruined lives, the recent tuberculosis epidemic hit much closer to home. One of my classmates ended up dying because of it’.

‘Damn I remember it too’, Akane bowed her head, ‘I only hope it has disappeared within the time span of our missing memories. It brought about much devastation to my community since the poorest in Japanese society were the first to die. It was only after the disease started affecting the more privileged sections of society when the government finally began investing in vaccines’.

‘You know, if we weren’t involved in a killing game, I’m not sure if I would even want to go back to the mainland after all the shit that has occurred’, said Nekomaru solemnly.

‘Whatever happens though, I hope we will remain together’, Ibuki commented.

‘While my duty resides in Novoselic, I make sure to write to you every week’, Sonia nodded.

‘Anyway’, Akane told us, ‘Mikan told Nekomaru and I that she is capable of handling things by herself now. So I thought I might as well tag along with you guys again. I can only hope that when Fuyuhiko wakes up, he will forgive me. I forgive him after all, as painful as it was…’

‘You do?’ Hiyoko gasped, ‘After everything he did?’

‘Yes. Besides, this is the worst time to be holding grudges. If we don’t want that wretched furball getting his way, we have no choice but watch out for each other, even if that means our old enemies’.

‘Indeed, we won’t stand a chance against that demon if we fight amongst ourselves’, I agreed, ‘There is a good chance that the bear will use any discourse we harbour as a weapon against us’.

‘Speaking of sticking together’, brought up Sonia, ‘you should come and see the new island. I’m sure you would love it darling’, she winked in Akane’s direction.

‘Yeah! It’s awesome!’ Tora’s face lit up, ‘Hey do you guys want to have another race?'

‘I think I’ll pass…’ Gundham uttered.

‘You will be joining us though, right Akane?’ Chiaki looked up at her hopefully.

‘You bet your ass I am! Count me in!’ she punched the air.

‘I bet you can’t beat me’, Tora smirked.

‘Bring it on!’

When we finished eating breakfast, we once again dressed in some considerably thick clothing and made our way to the third island. Akane was confused by the clothing choice at first but upon arriving, she shrieked for joy when she first stepped onto the snowy landscape, reminding me of the day when my dog had experienced snow for the first time in his life. After donning some ski gear, except for Sonia and Gundham who settled down in the cabin, we were back to zooming down the mountain. Of course, Tora and Akane ended up being the fastest but Chiaki was never far behind the two of them as the rest of us were.

When we finally tired ourselves out we settled down in the ski lodge, mostly talking about rather trivial topics, except for Ibuki who went down to the basement to prepare for tonight’s concert. Just as we were discussing dinner preparations however, we heard a knock at the door.

‘Whoever could that be?’ I got up to open it, and stepped back in shock, ‘Holy shit! How did you manage to make it all the way up here?’ 

‘Yeah Mikan was pretty reluctant to let me go too’, Fuyuhiko smirked indicating Mikan standing behind him, he was hunched over slightly and shaking, ‘But to be honest I was getting bored laying in bed for hours on end, and…’ he turned away from me, ‘I kind of missed you guys…’

‘You serious?’

‘Well I did overhear some pretty interesting gossip coming from your end’, he snickered, ‘When you all left for the island, I realised how lonely it really was, especially now that Peko is gone…’

‘Well… I don’t see why you can’t join us, although I recommend that you and Hiyoko should keep a distance from each other for the time being’.

‘Don’t worry, I understand completely. Although I do hope she has it in her to forgive me one day. As for Akane, I give her my full condolences. I think it’s fair to say we are in the same boat at this point…’ he looked down at the ground.

‘Come inside Fuyuhiko’, Mikan urged him, ‘You will surely catch a chill out here’.

‘Oh right… of course…’ he stepped inside and shuffled his way into the sitting room, much to the confused gasps of my fellow students, ‘Um… hi! I betcha weren’t expecting me here now were ya?’

‘How did you make it up here with that horrid injury of yours?!’ cried out Sonia.

‘Yeah, won’t you damage your stitches by doing that?’ frowned Tora.

‘Nah it’s fine’, Fuyuhiko brushed her off, ‘besides, Mikan accompanied me!’

‘Yes… I did…’ she grinned weakly.

‘Jeez Fuyuhiko, I wasn’t expecting you to turn up’, Akane stood up, ‘how are you feeling?’

‘It could be better’, Fuyuhiko yawned, stretching out on the one vacant sofa and lit up a bong, ‘thankfully I have my friend ol’ reliable to keep me sane’, he pointed at the glass object in his hand and within seconds the smell of weed began to overpower the room.

‘Fuyuhiko…’ Akane cleared her throat, ‘I just wanted to say… I forgive you’.

‘I also wish to put the past behind us. There is no point dwelling on it. What is done is done. Besides, my time in the clan is done for. The moment I step back in Japan, I will have a heavy price on my head, if I’m not carted off to death row first that is…’

‘You should leave the Yakuza lifestyle for good, start afresh ya know?’, I heard Ibuki coming up the basement stairs, ‘when I finally manage to form a new band, and you can be my first member. I can show you the ropes!'

‘That is… very noble of you Ibuki. But alas, no matter what persona I take, the Yakuza… the clan… it will remain in my bloodstream forever’.

‘You can be different from them though’, Sonia told him, ‘I know you can!’

‘It won’t make any difference’, he stared out of the window, ‘there will be blood on my hands either way. People’s lives are forever ruined, and I am to blame. All I can do now is try to get out of this place, but I am lost and confused without Peko to guide me’.

‘She may be gone from the mortal realm’, Gundham sighed, ‘but she remains with us in spirit’.

‘I wish it was that way, I really do… but I stopped believing in divine intervention a long time ago’.

‘Not much of an optimist are ya?’ Nagito shook his head.

‘I never have been really’, he laughed, ‘I’ve only been masquerading as one. The truth is, when you have spent your life constantly being doubted and compared to others, it leaves a mark’.

‘I can relate all too well’, Tora gazed into the fire, ‘I was always being compared to my brother. Even after his death, I was often treated as being an extension of him. That’s why I adopted my title ‘The Lucky Tiger’ so people would remember me as my own person’.

‘You didn’t kill to be respected though, did you?' Fuyuhiko sighed, 'And now I have paid the ultimate price of losing the one who I saw as a second sister’.

‘Her death doesn’t have to be in vain though, does it?’ Chiaki told him, ‘If you help us to beat the final boss Monokuma and uncover Todd, I’m sure she would be proud’.

‘Yeah, the bear is the one who caused us to kill in the first place!’, Nekomaru reminded us.

‘Unless we deserve it of course’, Gundham murmured, ‘Who knows what other memories that devil has hidden from us? Perhaps this island is hell or purgatory, and the killing game is a test’.

‘God, I hope not…’ Tora gasped, ‘but judging by the way things are going…’

‘I always pictured Hell to look not dissimilar to the real world but something is off about it’, Akane spoke, ‘kind of like our situation right now I guess…’

‘I dunno, I always preferred the whole fire and brimstone aesthetic’, shrugged Ibuki.

‘I see it as a white never-ending void’, Chiaki replied, ‘In my view, there isn’t anything more terrifying than being turned into nothingness’.

‘Hell is on earth. What’s the difference really?’ Gundham gritted his teeth, ‘Throughout my career I have seen so much cruelty inflicted upon animals that I stopped believing in the idea of a God, at least a loving one anyway…’

‘Yeah, animals go through so much shit its unbelievable!’ Nekomaru clenched his fists, ‘I understand there are times and places when humans need to utilise them, but I always found the Biblical concept of them being around solely for our consumption to be complete horseshit!’

‘I always found that logic to be utterly foolish too’, he nodded, ‘If that really is the case, I’d like to see a person try to eat a poison dart frog! Then again... there were other reasons I lost faith too…’

‘Whenever I watch the world news I’m reminded that yeah… God is kind of an asshole’, I agreed, ‘I mean the closest thing we’ve had to divine intervention are a couple of annoying talking animals, one of which wants to gobble us up. I don’t think he will be coming to save us anytime soon’.

‘Well it seems we just have to look out for each other’, Nagito reclined in his chair, ‘although I’m sure it will be easier said than done, considering that four students are already dead’.

‘It doesn’t have to be that way’, Ibuki announced, ‘we have my concert to look forward to!’

‘And crappy pizza!’ yawned Chiaki.

‘We forgot to mention’, I turned to face Fuyuhiko, ‘we are having a cabin sleepover tonight if you wish to join us. So long as you don’t do anything too vigorous, I don’t see why you can’t tag along. If you feel you want to leave early however, then I won’t stop you’.

‘As much as I want to, getting up here with a large stomach wound was no picnic, even with Mikan’s help’, his cheeks went pink, ‘I will stay here for tonight but at a distance. I’m not feeling chatty’.

‘Aw that’s good to know!’ Ibuki jumped in air, ‘I can now have a reason for throwing an extra party! From now on, the purpose of tonight will be to celebrate Fuyuhiko’s recovery!’

‘Oh no…’ his face was still red from embarrassment, ‘…having to spend time with you all was bad enough…’ he exhaled, ‘Fine… but I’m not budging’, he lay down on his chosen chair, ‘these goddamn surgical scars will be the death of me I swear!’

‘No pressure my dude!’ winked Tora.

‘I will prepare a bed for you up here Fuyuhiko’, Mikan bowed, ‘Don't strain yourself’.

‘Thanks Mikan, I owe you one’, he grinned weakly in her direction as she went into a closet to fetch some extra pillows and blankets for him.

‘Well we might as well get these pizzas on the go!’ Chiaki walked towards the kitchen, ‘They are fresh from the sewers you know!’ she winked.

‘Please hurry!’ Akane called out, ‘I haven’t eaten properly since the trial!’

‘It’s good to know that you have your appetite back Akane’, Nekomaru patted her on the back.

Soon after the distinctive smell of mozzarella and tomato wafted into the room, and Chiaki laid out several clearly cheap but delicious pizzas in front of us.

‘This is some good trash right here!’ Akane spoke through a mouthful of melted cheese.

‘It’s better than nothing I suppose’, Fuyuhiko commented after only taking a small nibble.

'This isn’t all that bad come to think of it!’ Sonia nodded approvingly, 'Perhaps I should acquaint the palace kitchens with this particular dish? The culture of the outside world is full of so many surprises!'

'It's not that deep!' I rolled my eyes, 'Seriously...'

When we had finished eating through several slices of somewhat rubbery but satisfying pizza, we proceeded to make our way to the basement. Gundham did not budge however.

‘Aren’t you coming along to join us Gundham?’ Sonia tilted her head.

‘I think I’m going to go to bed early’, he told her, ‘I’ve been feeling a little under the weather, and even immortal beings need their slumber. Besides, doesn’t someone need to stay behind and watch Fuyuhiko? Mikan surely needs a break after all the dedicated effort she has put into his wellbeing?’

‘I’m cool with it’, shrugged Fuyuhiko, ‘I would tell you not to murder me, but I don’t really care what happens now. I wouldn’t care if I just drift off to sleep here forever’.

‘Indeed there are times when I wish the darkness would just come and claim me’, Gundham turned to face him, ‘I fear if it wasn’t for my work, I would have escaped from the mortal world much sooner... although I have no desire to murder you at this present time’.

‘Thanks… I guess?’

‘Yeah Mikan could do with a break’, Akane nodded, ‘she’s been up all night!’

‘Ugh’, Hiyoko rolled her eyes irritably, ‘Does she really have to come along? She will just end up ruining everything as usual!’

‘Get your head out of your ass Hiyoko’, Chiaki scolded.

As the other students headed down the steps, I remained behind briefly.

‘Gundham, are you sure that everything is okay?’ I asked him nervously, ‘It’s not like you to just sit out of gatherings like this, even with your... way of going about things’.

‘It’s fine Hajime, really’, he sighed, ‘I just need some rest…’

‘Okay then… just look after yourself alright?’

‘You have been so annoyingly stubborn Hajime, though I kind of admire it in sense’, he placed a hand upon the window pane, ‘nevertheless, I will keep on giving you the same answer as before’. 

‘Well if you change your mind... about the concert I mean, Sonia and I will be just around the corner’.

‘Very well’, he nodded, ‘Well… have fun Hajime…’

‘Have a good sleep Gundham’, I nodded before he walked towards the sitting room to join Fuyuhiko.

‘Jeez, why has Gundham been so on edge lately?’ frowned Hiyoko.

‘Yeah, is it just me or has he been acting weirder than usual?’ replied Nagito, ‘I mean something always seemed a little off about him, but today he seemed particularly strange…’

‘It’s almost like he’s hiding something from us’, Ibuki put her hands on her hips.

‘Don’t think of it that way’, Sonia grinned in a noticeably strained manner, ‘he is probably just tired, nothing more. He’s a very busy man after all!’ 

‘Yeah right…’ I murmured as Ibuki finished the final touches upon the stage.

‘All right everyone!’ Ibuki yelled through the mic, wearing a leather black corset and skirt, accompanied with black fishnets and large combat boots, in which I was surprised she could even lift her feet, ‘Are you all ready to go crazy? Cause I sure am!’

We gathered around the mosh pit, jumping up and down as metal music echoed throughout the room and Ibuki sang a variety of dark gothic tunes, most of which seemed to be in latin. While her style of singing brought about a feeling of euphoria, it was appropriately haunting too.

Even though she was noticeably sweating and her black makeup was slowly beginning to drip down her face, most likely due to her tight fitting leather attire, Ibuki still somehow managed to retain the same enthusiastic energy throughout her performance.

‘Is it me or is it getting hot in here?’ Tora’s face had been pink throughout the whole performance.

‘It is but not for the reasons you think!’ Ibuki jumped back as the beast manifested upon the stage, breathing down upon us.

‘Hey watch it buddy!’ Ibuki protested, recomposing herself.

‘Of course I deeply regret gate-crashing this friendly little get-together but I have a very important announcement to make, that of an exciting new game!’

‘It is another one about our dark and troubled past?’ I asked coolly.

‘Ugh… why do you have to be such a smartass?’ the bear growled, ‘But yes. You see the arcade machines around you? They should all be working now’.

‘And what makes you think we will play your stupid game?’ Akane tapped her foot.

‘Yeah! We know your tactics by now Monokuma’, Nekomaru stood in front of him, his fists raised, ‘we won’t fall for them so easily this time! I will make sure of it!’

‘How cute!’ Monokuma smirked, ‘You really have no idea do you? Four deaths at my hands and you are all still as ignorant as ever! Clearly brains don’t come with fame!’

‘Whatever happens, I will make sure your master is unmasked eventually’, Chiaki spoke, ‘you may have the upper hand now but in time, we will get to the bottom of this!’

‘Do you honestly think I give a damn?’ the bear growled, ‘And even if I did, you mere mortals haven’t even scratched the surface of your current situation! Anyway I had better clear off little cubs. I hope you find my latest title as bloodcurdling as the last! Its contents will utterly shock you!’ 

The bear vanished as the arcade machines around us suddenly flickered to life.

‘Oh shit, what do we do?’ Tora looked around wildly.

‘We should all head back to the main island’, Chiaki told us, ‘that way we will be less tempted’.

‘Yes let’s head back’, squeaked Mikan, ‘It’s not worth risking any more deaths’.

‘Come on, let’s pack up, wrap ourselves in something warm and skedaddle outta here’, Nekomaru stated as we headed back up the basement stairs.

‘Good luck with that’, a deep voice uttered. I looked up to see Gundham who was staring out of the window, observing a raging blizzard, ‘Even my crows struggle to fly in this kind of weather. If it isn’t safe for them then it’s not safe for us either, trust me’.

‘Come on!’ shrugged Akane, ‘I’m not scared of a bit of snow!’ she opened the door and a blast of icy wind almost knocked her backwards. The door was only shut thanks to Tora’s intervention.

‘Well this is convenient isn’t it!?’ exclaimed Ibuki nervously.

‘This is Monokuma’s doing’, Gundham gritted his teeth, ‘I’m sure of it!’

‘It’s no use’, sighed Nagito, ‘it looks like we are in for the long haul’.

‘Well we’re fucked I guess’, Fuyuhiko uttered.

‘Hey no need to be so downcast!’ Nekomaru intervened, ‘Nobody is going to die tonight!’

‘What makes you come up with that conclusion?’ frowned Tora, ‘Every time we try to get together someone ends up getting murdered!’

‘Don’t worry’, he reassured us, ‘I will keep watch by the basement door’.

‘Are you sure? Aren’t you tired from last night?’ Akane raised an eyebrow.

‘It’s fine pal, really’, he put a hand on her shoulder, ‘we are only staying here until the blizzard clears up. Then we can just head back to the main island with no worries!’

‘I think Gundham is right though’, Sonia sighed, ‘I’m sure Monokuma has something to do with this’.

‘Yeah’, I agreed, ‘If he can raise an entire fucking volcano from the ocean, causing a major blizzard to trap us up here must be a walk in the park for him!’

‘Whatever the case, I think we should wait until the dawn’, Ibuki nodded, ‘It’s too dark to do anything and my muscles are killing me from all this playing’.

‘Yes we should get some rest’, Chiaki yawned, ‘we can’t do much now. In the meantime, all we can do is sleep through this thing and hope for the best’.

‘You are always sleepy Chiaki!’ Hiyoko scoffed, ‘But you’re right, I can barely stand right now!’

The other students began to set up beds for themselves on the furniture. Chiaki and Hiyoko curled up like cats in their respective spots while Sonia snuggled next to Gundham, resting her head on his chest. As we all wrapped ourselves in blankets and laid out pillows, Nekomaru looked down at us.

‘Don’t you worry’, he chuckled as he dimmed the lights around us, ‘Nothing will go wrong while Nekomaru Nidai is on patrol, I will make sure of it!’

‘Well I guess this is good night then huh?’ Nagito laughed nervously, ‘Do try not to kill each other!’

‘Okay then… sweet dreams everyone’, Nekomaru finally uttered as he turned out the last light, leaving only the light of the warm fire.

When I woke up the following morning, all that remained of the fire were a few burning embers. To my relief, the ominous howling sound of the blizzard last night had stopped. I sat up and looked around to see that I was among the last up. Looking towards the sofa next to me, I could also see Fuyuhiko slowly stirring, before I heard him yelp in pain.

‘Hey are you alright?’ I asked him.

‘Yeah…’ he nodded, clutching at his stomach, ‘It’s just these fucking surgical scars that’s all…’

‘Well on the bright side, it seems the bad weather has ceased!’ I stared out of the window, ‘We should be able to go back to the main island now!’ as I looked back at him however I saw that Fuyuhiko had wrapped a dressing gown around himself and wincing slightly, stood up.

‘Um Hajime, may I have a word?’

‘Yeah, sure why not?’ I walked over as I prepared to assist him. Fuyuhiko pointed me towards the ski equipment cupboard and I shut the door behind us as we entered.

‘I don’t quite know how I’m meant to express this but I feel you have a right to know…’

‘Go on’.

‘You are close to Gundham right?’

‘Yes… how was your time with him by the way?’

‘Fine… at least until…’ he exhaled, ‘he went to get drinks. He was taking a while so I went to the kitchen to investigate and… I heard the most terrible sound coming from the nearby bathroom. It sounded like… whimpering, although I never heard such a thing come from him before’.

‘Jesus Christ… did you intervene?’

‘Nah… my surgical scars were killing me and I had to lie back down. Besides... I may just be overthinking things. That’s the whole reason I came to you though’.

‘Oh God, this is exactly what Sonia and I were worried about’, I sighed, ‘Thanks for telling me Fuyuhiko, I will try and talk to him once we get back to base. I want to get to the bottom of this, for his sake’, I wiped my eyes.

‘No problem Hajime’, Fuyuhiko nodded before I accompanied him back to the lounge. Just as we settled down however we saw Hiyoko and Akane run in, panting.

‘Hiyoko is there anything wrong?’ I questioned.

‘We’ve been running around looking for Ibuki but whenever we shout her name, the idiot won’t reply! I hate to admit it but I am actually pretty worried about her…’

‘Shit!’ I stood up, ‘She can’t have gone far from here though surely? Have you checked outside?’

‘The others are out just now’, Akane explained, ‘they are still looking as we speak! That’s not the only thing though… I’m pretty sure Nekomaru got drugged last night too’.

‘Is he okay?’

‘He’s fine, but whoever did it must have had pretty sinister intentions to get him out of the picture’.

‘Holy fuck…’ Fuyuhiko gasped, ‘You don’t think that person has done something to Ibuki do you?’

‘Akane, you watch after Fuyuhiko, Hiyoko stick by me’, I told them. 

Hiyoko and I wrapped ourselves in winter wear and stepped outside to see that a significant amount of snow hand fallen last night. Looking at the large pile of snow near the entrance I saw that my classmates had been forced to dig their way out of the cabin.

We ran to see the other students gathered around the frozen lake at a particular spot. From a distance I could see that a section of ice had been broken. My heart sinking, Hiyoko and I walked over, dreading but also preparing ourselves for the inevitable.

The bottom half of Ibuki’s body was submerged in the freezing water, her top half still and pale. Her eyes and mouth were wide open, ice flecking her hair and eyelashes. Looking closer I saw that her face displayed a frozen look of terror and that she had she had been clawing away at the ice around her, as though she was trying to flee from someone, or something.


End file.
